Joseph ‘Joe B-wan’ Benavidez to school Jussier Formiga
Published:
Flyweight prospect Jussier Formiga (15-2) picked up a first UFC win last time out but will be sent crashing back to earth when facing Joseph Benavidez (18-3) early next month.
Brazil’s former Shooto South American 123lb champion got over the loss he suffered on his UFC debut by picking up a unanimous decision over Chris Cariaso on the recent Belfort v Rockhold undercard.
However, the boost in confidence will be short lived with the Beefcake bout coming too early in his fledgling UFC career.
Benavidez – known to fans as Joe B-Wan Kenobi – has won six of his last seven bouts, with two of his last three coming by technical knockout.
The Texan is the more experienced fighter and this is reflected in the betting which prices the 29-year-old as the 1/4 favourite.
Formiga can be backed at 11/4 but after going 1-1 in his opening two UFC outings, doubts remain over his ability to mix it at the highest level of the sport.
However, while Benavidez is widely expected to secure a win, the stats suggest he will at least be given a workout by his opponent on September 5th.
Formiga has required a decision in nine of his 17 MMA bouts thus far, winning eight and losing one, while Benavidez has only won five of his 21 fights inside the distance.
The fight represents something of a mis-match for Formiga as he is at his most effective when taking fights to the ground.
His wrestling background means he has just one career knockout – coming outside of the UFC – while the superior Benavidez is yet to have lost inside three rounds.
Furthermore, despite his wrestling prowess, Formiga is yet to secure a victory by way of submission and this fact alone strongly suggests that at 28 years old, the big time might just be beyond him.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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