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Main card bouts for the card on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:

Deiveson Figueiredo (18-1) vs. Joseph Benavidez (28-6), for vacant flyweight title

Jack Hermansson (20-4) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (16-5, 1 no decision), middleweights

Marc Diakiese (14-3) vs. Rafael Fiziev (6-1), lightweights

Ariane Lipski (12-5) vs. Luana Carolina (6-1), women’s flyweights

Alexandre Pantoja (224) vs. Askar Askarov (11-0-1), flyweights

had success early only to have the momentum shifted when he was busted open by an accidental head-butt.

It was the latest setback for one of the UFC’S most accomplished fighters to never have been a champion.

The 35-year-old was part of the tournament to crown a champion when the division was created in 2012, only to lose a split decision to Demetrious Johnson in the championship match.

Benavidez won nine of his next 10 fights, including a win over Henry Cejudo. The loss was in a rematch against Johnson, one of the UFC’S longest reigning champions.

After a split-decision loss to Sergio Pettis, Benavidez ran off another three-fight winning streak to set up a bout with Cejudo, who had dethroned Johnson. But Cejudo moved up to 135 pounds and vacated the title.

“I fought 10 fights to get here for my second chance,” Benavidez said.

The main card includes a middleweight bout between Jack Hermansson and Kelvin Gastelum, who looks to halt a two-fight losing streak that began with an interim title bout against middleweight champ Israel Adesanya in April 2019.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Adamhilllvrj on Twitter.