The 125-pound title was declared vacant Thursday after champion Henry Cejudo informed UFC officials that he was opting to relinquish it in order to pursue the defense of his UFC bantamweight title.
One of the best flyweights of this era, Benavidez has won 13 bouts in the weight class since 2012, including a 2016 victory over Cejudo, and after winning three in a row over Alex Perez, Dustin Ortiz and Jussier Formiga, the 35-year-old is determined to seize gold in February. Standing in his way is 17-1 Brazilian standout Figueiredo, whose 2019 wins over Alexandre Pantoja and Tim Elliott have him in prime form before the biggest fight of his career.
Tickets for UFC Fight Night, which airs live on ESPN+, go on sale on Friday, January 10.
