“We’re competitors and this is what you do,” he said. “You’re always fighting to be the best, so that never leaves your mind, but I’ve had a great career, great wins, and people are gonna look back and know I was good at fighting. So what does the belt do? It’s a symbol for it, an extra line on my Wikipedia page. (Laughs) And it represents that on one night, I was the best in the world.”
It’s a liberating approach for Benavidez, whose list of victories includes the names Henry Cejudo, Jussier Formiga, Dustin Ortiz, Alex Perez and John Moraga, just to mention a few. Some of them, he’s beaten twice. So it’s not surprising that when talking about him with his peers, the praise comes quick. And when it was announced that he would be fighting for the vacant crown after Cejudo relinquished it, there was a genuine sense that the rest of the division was glad that he was getting another shot.
“It’s crazy,” said Benavidez. “The respect from my peers is huge and it’s unexplainable, honestly. Obviously the fans mean a lot, but for your peers, who go through the same thing as you, to appreciate what you do and be happy for you, it’s really cool. I appreciate every second, every comment, and all the support.”