Joseph Benavidez is back in action later this month at UFC Fight Night Brooklyn, facing Dustin Ortiz in a flyweight division rematch.
The fighter, who has been with the UFC for almost eight years, has inked a new four fight deal with the promotion.
“I just signed a new four fight deal. I think that’s another good sign,” Benavidez stated during a UFC Fight Night Brooklyn media event (via MMA Highlights). “I didn’t even know guys have been getting reduce till I noticed them combating in RIZIN and I used to be like ‘how did those guys get cut?’ trigger these issues are all the time type of introduced. The way in which that I gauge it’s look there’s a flyweight title struggle. Top-of-the-line pound-for-pound guys is coming all the way down to our weight to struggle. We’ve got a brand new champion that’s headlining the primary card ever with ESPN. That’s how I gauge it. I’m combating on it, there’s different fights being signed. So I just look at it like that and then after the fight look at it again.”
Benavidez has twice before challenged for the UFC Flyweight Title, suffering a pair of defeats to then champion Demetrious Johnson.
There has been talk that the UFC may dissolve the men’s flyweight division, but Benavidez says its business as usual going forward.
“Right now it’s business as usual,” Benavidez said. “I’ve got a fight on the same card as the title fight and that’s really all there is. I haven’t really heard any talk other than that.”
UFC Fight Night Brooklyn takes place on Saturday, January 19 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York with Henry Cejudo and TJ Dillashaw headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which streams live on ESPN+.
