UFC Fight Night 169 went down last night (Sat., Feb. 29, 2020) from inside Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. In the headlining act, Deiveson Figueiredo knocked out Joseph Benavidez, but was unable to walk away the Flyweight champion after failing to make weight. In the co-main event, Felicia Spencer made quick work of Zarah Fairn, knocking her out via ground-and-pound in the very first round (see it again here).
Biggest Winner: Felicia Spencer
While it isn’t a forgone conclusion that Spencer will face Amanda Nunes next, her dominant win over Zara Fairn sure put her in the driver’s seat. She is 2-1 so far inside the Octagon, with her lone loss coming to former women’s Featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg. Her other win came against Megan Anderson, who also made a case for her shot at the strap by knocking out Norma Dumont. That said, since Spencer just scored a win over Anderson last May, the title fight should go to her. For her part, Nunes doesn’t seem to care who she faces, which will be at UFC 250 on May 9, 2020, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Runner Up: Deiveson Figueiredo
Just like he wasn’t eligible to win the UFC Flyweight title or a post-fight bonus, he isn’t eligible to get the top spot here for coming in heavy. But seriously, Figueiredo would be a champion at the moment after knocking out Joseph Benavidez in round number two had he just made weight. Still, it was a brilliant performance from Figueiredo, who ate a lot of hard shots from Benavidez, proving that he has a very tough chin. And he also has heavy hands, as evidenced by the lighting-quick stunner he delivered on his opponent. We get it, stuff happens, but Figueiredo had a ton of time to make weight for such a big title fight. That said, he didn’t seem too bothered after his win — even after drawing the ire of Dana White — as he was perfectly content with just getting the “W.” Now, the future of the division is still uncertain as the title is once again vacant.
Biggest Loser: Joseph Benavidez
It seemed everyone was rooting for Benavidez to finally achieve his dream of becoming UFC Flyweight champion after failing in his previous two bids, especially since his opponent failed to make weight. But after a thrilling first round, Benavidez wound up on the wrong end of a devastating knockout loss after Figueiredo drilled him with a straight right hand down the pipe, sending him crashing to the canvas. A few more shots later, and the fight was over. That said, Benavidez and Figueiredo clashed heads second prior, which obviously hurt Benavidez and cut him open pretty badly. There is no telling just how much that blow hurt him, but it was clear he was a little dazed. Where Benavidez goes from here is still up in the air, but don’t count him out just yet, as the comeback could be greater than the setback.
For complete UFC Norfolk results and coverage click here.
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