It looks like Henry Cejudo and the flyweight division are parting ways.
According to Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, there are plans in place for UFC to strip Henry Cejudo of the 125-pound belt. With the news, Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo will square off for the vacant championship. The fight is being targeted for UFC on ESPN+ 27 in February.
Benavidez (28-5) is currently riding a three-fight win streak. Since beating Jussier Formiga, the Dapper Scrapper has been on standby for a title shot, waiting for Cejudo to recovery from his surgery. However, it seems Cejudo had different plans, calling out Jose Aldo at 135-pounds after Aldo’s performance at UFC 245.
Known to many as the gatekeeper at 125-pounds, Benavidez looks towards his third UFC title shot and hopes to claim gold for the first time in his long career.
Figueiredo (17-1) recently beat Tim Elliott at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October. The Brazilian called for the Benavidez fight after his win, but instead of the interim belt, he gets his shot at the real one early next year.
UFC on ESPN+ 27 takes place inside the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia on February 29.
Confirmed bouts for UFC Norfolk:
- Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo – Flyweight Championship
- Featherweight: Megan Anderson vs. Norma Dumont
- Welterweight: Alex Oliveira vs. Mickey Gall
- Featherweight: Felicia Spencer vs. Zarah Fairn
- Middleweight: Brendan Allen vs. Tom Breese
- Bantamweight: Gabriel Silva vs. Kyler Phillips
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Joel Torres is a co-owner of The Scrap and its current CEO. Torres is obsessed with MMA and holds a Masters of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology from University of Southern California. Make sure to follow Joel on Twitter (@joeyfights).
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