There comes a time in every professional’s life where they have to retire. UFC legend Joseph Benavidez is at the point in his career where retirement becomes a very real question. Benavidez recently lost to Deiveson Figueiredo in a fight for the vacant UFC Featherweight championship for the 2nd time in a row. With Benavidez coming up on 36 years old, is it time for him to finally hang up the gloves?
Why Benavidez Should Retire
Benavidez has nothing to prove to anyone; he’s been a nearly unstoppable force throughout his entire 12-year professional career. I say “nearly” for a reason, Benavidez has had four opportunities to win the title, he has failed on all four times. Benavidez lost those fights to legends like Dominick Cruz and twice to Demetrious Johnson. Plus, there is no one else left for him to fight in the Featherweight division.
The division as a whole is a failure, but that’s another story. Brandon Moreno is obviously fighting Figueiredo next, but who’s left for Benavidez? The matchmakers could possibly feed him Brandon Royval for an “easy win”, but I don’t see Benavidez winning that fight. It seems like the right time to finally call it quits, and most likely head to the hall of fame.
Why Benavidez Shouldn’t Retire
Benavidez could make a final run for the title. Maybe just maybe, he puts together 3-4 wins to finally get his final shot. Hypothetically, let’s say he beat Royval as his first opponent, then he beats Alex Perez, and finally, he beats Alexandre Pantoja and gets his last shot against Figueiredo. Win or lose, Benavidez can ride off into the sunset, knowing he gave it his all in his final run. The problem with this is that dreams aren’t realities. We all want to see UFC legends have a happy ending, but it doesn’t always happen.
Conclusion
I believe that Benavidez should retire. Winning the belt just isn’t in his cards, and it’s better to retire with dignity, or you’ll end up like BJ Penn. Benavidez will retire as a legend most definitely, but he will also retire as a gatekeeper. So close to winning the title, but never could string it together.