On a night that featured plenty of explosive finishes, UFC Fight Night 169 ended with one. Deiveson Figueiredo electrified the crowd with a second-round stoppage TKO of Joseph Benavidez.
Unfortunately, the signature win did not result in Figueiredo being crowned a champion due to his inability to make weight on Friday. Figueiredo tipped the scales at 127.5 pounds, two-and-a-half pounds above the max, making him ineligible to win the title vacated by Henry Cejudo.
The first round featured plenty of exciting moments. Figueiredo nearly caught Benavidez in an armbar early in the first round but the scramble resulted in multiple reversals and ultimately both fighters rose to their feet. From there, it was a mix of strikes and kicks from both fighters, each landing powerful blows.
The trades continued into the second round. However, an accidental clash of heads resulted in a Benavidez getting split open. As he wiped the blood from his head, Figueiredo landed a flush right to the jaw that sent the the Las Cruces product to the canvas. A few hammerfists later and referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in to call it.
“I am sorry for missing weight, but I told everybody I want to give a big show because you guys deserve a big main event,” Figueiredo said after the fight.
This was Figueiredo's biggest win of his career and 15th via finish. He has now won three in a row. Benavidez, who had previously dropped a pair of fights to former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, had his three-fight winning streak snapped. “I feel like this isn’t real right now,” Benavidez said. “A freakin’ nightmare.”