UFC Fight Island 2: Figueiredo v Benavidez 2 - Predictions & Breakdown
- MMA News Now
- Jul 16, 2020
- 3 min read
By: Eagle Andersen
Fight Island will see the arrival of a new UFC Flyweight Champion this Saturday night!
I am going to briefly breakdown each of these bouts and give you the most likely winner based their history. Each MMA News Now team member will also be offering their predictions.
Alexandre Pantoja (22-4) v Askar Askarov (11-0-1)
Alexandre Pantoja is coming off a first-round knockout victory over Matt Schnell last December. He's been hot lately and has won four of his last five fights, with his lone loss in that span coming via decision to Deiveson Figueiredo who is currently the highest-ranked fighter in the division.
Askar Askrarov does not have the UFC experience that Pantoja possesses but he has made waves in Russia. He's a fighter with a high fitness level and will be looking to push the pace and jump into the title conversation this Saturday.
Ariane Lipski (12-5) v Luana Carolina (6-1)
Ariane Lipski has seen her share of hardships in the UFC thus far but she has a big opportunity this weekend. She is facing a less experienced fighter in Luana which she should be able to take advantage of. Lipski has been known to go for finishes in the past and if she is confident this weekend, we might just see that happen again.
Marc Diakiese (14-3) v Rafael Fiziev (7-1)
Marc Diakiese was once a highly touted prospects before his infamous three-fight losing streak. Since then the young Englishman has looked like his old self and has since stuck a couple of wins together.
Fiziev is new to his UFC career sporting just one win and one loss thus far. He has been known to finish people on the feet but he will have a tough go of it come Saturday if he is looking to put Diakiese asleep. At this point, it's hard to tell if Fiziev is ready for the UFC level. We will find out this Saturday.
Jack Hermansson (20-5) v Kelvin Gastelum (15-5-[1])
Both of these guys are coming off of losses which will make them desperate to get the win this Saturday. A desperate fight means both guys will be giving it their all to stay relevant in the title picture.
Both of these guys are talented and fairly well-rounded in all aspects of the game. With that being said, Gastelum will have the advantage on the feet and Hermansson is the superior fighter on the mat. At the end of the day, this fight will simply come down to two simple questions: "Who wants it more?" and "Who can fight their fight?".
Deiveson Figueiredo (18-1) v Joseph Benavidez (28-6)
The post-Cejudo/Johnson era of the flyweight division got off to a rocky start when these two first met. An accidental headbutt leading to a knockout saw Figueiredo get his hand raised. Unfortunately for the Brazillian, he missed weight prior to the fight and was unable to be crowned flyweight champion upon victory, and thus we have a rematch.
In their initial meeting Figueiredo seemed to have the edge on the feet even before the headbutt occurred. On paper, Figueiredo also should have the slight advantage if the fight ends up on the mat. In his 19 fight career he has never been finished and has proven his chin time and time again.
With this being said, Joe Benavidez is one of the greatest UFC fighters to have never won a belt. He was number 2 in Mighty Mouse's division for years and finally poised to take the crown that he feels should be his. He has the experience edge and has shared the octagon with future HOF shoe-ins in Dominick Cruz, Henry Cejudo and Demetrious Johnson. With a resume like that, Figueiredo would be a fool to underestimate him.
Team Predictions:
Eagle's (@AndersenEagle) Picks | 29-11-0: A. Pantoja
A. Lipski
M. Diakiese
K. Gastelum
J. Benavidez
Mason's Picks | 24-11-0: A. Pantoja
A. Lipski
M.Diakiese
K. Gastelum
J. Benavidez
Buck's (@Nerd_MMA) Picks | 23-17-0: A. Askarov
A. Lipski
M. Diakiese
J. Hermansson
D. Figueiredo
Aiden's (@DownToTheWire6) Picks | 28-12-0: Joe's (@UngerJos) Picks | 24-11-0:
Twitter Polls:
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