Flyweight legend Joseph Benavidez returns at UFC 259 to fight the undefeated Askar Askarov. Benavidez is coming off 2 losses currently, having lost both his fights against current champion Deiveson Figueiredo in 2020.

Askarov is currently on a 2-fight winning streak. Since his split draw against Brandon Moreno in 2019, the Russian has won back-to-back unanimous decisions against Tim Elliott and Alexandre Pantoja.

Benavidez’s losses against Figueiredo were nothing less than brutal. It’s tough to think one can come back from those kinds of beatings.

Especially against an undefeated fighter like Askarov. The Russian has a solid base of grappling. So, it will be tough for Benavidez to surprise him with that too.

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Joseph Benavidez vs Askar Askarov in numbers

Benavidez has an exceptional professional record of 28-7. Dominick Cruz, Deiveson Figueiredo, Sergio Pettis, and Demetrious Johnson have been the only men to beat him inside the Octagon.

He holds notable wins over the likes of Henry Cejudo, Jussier Formiga, Eddie Wineland, and more. Askarov is undefeated, but he has competed only 3 times in the UFC so far.

His promotional debut was a split draw against Brandon Moreno. He is a dangerous fighter with 12 professional wins under his belt.

Out of Askarov’s 12 wins, 10 have come by finishes. He has 3 T/KO, and 7 submission wins in his resume. Benavidez on the other hand has 17 finishes under his belt. He has 8 wins by T/KO, and 9 by submission.

Benavidez is a versatile fighter and is comfortable wherever the fight takes place. He lands 3.45 signature strikes per minute and absorbs 2.54 in the process. Askarov’s stats on the feet are almost identical. However, the Russian tends to average 2 takedowns per 15 minutes.

So, both fighters are very well matched in terms of skillset. But Askarov has the confidence of an undefeated fighter. For Benavidez, if he is over the traumas of his fights against Figueiredo remains a mystery.

It’s tough for any fighter to come back from such losses. Especially in the second fight, Figueiredo came up with one of the most savage performances inside the Octagon to date.

Askarov will look to springboard to title contention with a win over a legend in Benavidez. Whereas, Benavidez will hope Brandon Moreno wins the rematch against Figueiredo so he can get another shot at the belt given he wins this weekend. However, all things point towards a victory for Askarov

Final Prediction: Askar Askarov by unanimous decision.