UFC
UFC on FX 2's Joseph Benavidez believes it's only a matter of time before lighter weights catch on with more fans
Feb 29, 2012 - 1:45:37 PM UFC on FX 2's Joseph Benavidez believes it's only a matter of time before lighter weights catch on with more fans

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC's flyweight division will debut this Friday night with the UFC on FX 2 card from Sydney, Australia. The four-man tournament features two established names and former title challengers in the bantamweight division, along with two top 125 lb. newcomers, and they'll be out to show why the UFC brought the division into the organization in the first place.

The new lighter weight classes in featherweight and bantamweight have yet to fully take hold with the UFC's casual audience, and flyweights will have another tough battle ahead of them in gaining widespread acceptance as well. However, in Benavidez's case, he feels it's only a matter of time before fans come around.

"All this stuff happens with time," Benavidez said in an interview with Jonathan Snowden at BleacherReport.com. "Look at the UFC when it first started. Not everyone respected it like they do now as a sport. And those guys were big. People are used to seeing the 205 pounders and heavyweights because they've been around for awhile. This (the flyweight division) is new stuff. I think the more fans see it, the more they will respect it. There's no way you can watch one of our fights and not respect it....when it's all over, they'll probably end up favoring the smaller weight classes. Because the fights are so much more exciting and technical."

Benavidez faces Yasuhiro Urushitani in his first round matchup in the four-man tournament, while Demetrious Johnson takes on Ian McCall in the other semifinal bout. The winners will then square off later this year for the first ever UFC Flyweight Championship, and Benavidez sees this opportunity at 125 lbs. as a dream coming true.

"To be crowned the first flyweight champion. To be a UFC champion? That's a dream come true," Benavidez said. "That's been my goal since the very beginning. I have a picture of the UFC belt on my mantle. Just a photograph until I do get a real one. I look at it everyday. That's the dream.

"That belt is going to be the first of its kind. Talk about a legacy. That's a legacy all in itself. The first flyweight champion. That's something I'll always be able to look back on. Set out on the road for all the other flyweights to come. That would be huge."

Penick's Analysis: For a long time, Benavidez has been a fighter most have believed would benefit most from the flyweight division, with Johnson a close second. Benavidez came very close to capturing the WEC Bantamweight Title from Dominick Cruz, but in losing two razor-thin decisions to Cruz, and being teammates with Urijah Faber, there wasn't much room for advancement in the 135 lb. division. At 125 lbs., he's no longer going to be the smallest fighter every time out, and indeed he's expected to have success in this new class. A big performance against Urishitani is just the beginning, and if he can do that, his bout against either Johnson or McCall will make for a fantastic title fight.