4 key questions ahead of UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez

Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez will meet in a rematch for the vacant flyweight title in Saturday's UFC Fight Night headliner at Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Here are four key questions heading into the event.

Will anything happen to Figueiredo at the last minute?

There are a couple of reasons you shouldn't be confident the title fight between Figueiredo and Benavidez will happen until the two fighters are locked in the cage.

Although Figueiredo missed weight ahead of his first encounter against Benavidez in February, he still went on to win via second-round TKO. The Brazilian appears to have his weight under control this time around. His manager Wallid Ismail told ESPN's Ariel Helwani he weighed less than 135 pounds on Sunday, and that on the Sunday before the February fight, Figueiredo was 145 pounds.

That's a positive sign, but it's still far from a given he will hit 125 pounds on Friday. He traveled to Abu Dhabi later than expected because he tested positive for the coronavirus, which was later proven to be a false positive. Figueiredo had the virus two months ago. This time last week, it seemed like the fight was in jeopardy because of the positive result - it's smooth sailing right now, but who knows what can happen between now and fight time?

Can Benavidez make adjustments to win rematch?

If anyone can turn the table on Figueiredo - who looked tremendous in the first fight, despite missing weight - and make this rematch interesting, it's Benavidez.

He's a true veteran of the sport and has competed for the flyweight title three times, including the fight with Figueiredo earlier this year. Benavidez has been a top contender at 125 pounds for as long as the division has been around, and many consider him one of the best fighters in UFC history to never capture a title.

But at the same time, their first bout was only five months ago. Realistically, how many adjustments or improvements could Benavidez make in that time, especially during the pandemic? Max Holloway fared much better in his rematch against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski last weekend after losing a clear-cut fight in December, so it's not impossible to do. But Benavidez is 35 years old and his best days are almost certainly behind him. Figueiredo, meanwhile, is only getting better, so this is ultimately his fight to lose.

What's on the line for Gastelum?

It'd be tough for Kelvin Gastelum to get back into middleweight title contention if he loses to Jack Hermansson in Saturday's co-main event.

Gastelum, ranked No. 7 in the division, will enter the fight on a two-fight skid, and his last performance against Darren Till in November was fairly uninspiring. If he beats Hermansson in impressive fashion, people would forget about that fight and he'd be able to chalk it up to being an anomaly. But if he loses again, it would start to look like a trend.

It was disappointing to see the 28-year-old fall short in back-to-back fights last year, even though one of those losses was a "Fight of the Year" candidate against Israel Adesanya. Gastelum had his time to shine with his scheduled fight against Robert Whittaker for the undisputed title in February. Unfortunately, Whittaker had to withdraw at the last minute due to an illness. Gastelum then fought Adesanya for the interim title, losing a narrow decision.

It would be a big moment for Gastelum if he bounces back this weekend against Hermansson, the No. 6-ranked middleweight. He'd officially be back in the mix at 185 pounds, which, in a way, also goes for Hermansson, who's coming off a devastating defeat against Jared Cannoiner in September. With a loss, Gastelum would be far from Paulo Costas, Whittakers, and Cannoniers in the 185-pound division. And it would take a massive winning streak to get back in that position.

What to watch on the undercard?

One of the more intriguing clashes on the card is a flyweight bout between Alexandre Pantoja and Askar Askarov.

UFC president Dana White has already said that Pantoja, the No. 4-ranked contender, will serve as a replacement if someone falls out of the main event. Assuming his fight against Askarov happens as planned, it could possibly determine the first challenger for the winner of Figueiredo-Benavidez. Pantoja is 4-1 over his past five contests, with his only loss in the last two years coming against Figueiredo. Askarov is undefeated and has impressed thus far in two fights inside the Octagon.

I'm also looking forward to seeing Joe Duffy back in action. He's best known for holding a 2010 win over Conor McGregor in Cage Warriors. It's been over a year since Duffy last stepped into the cage, and he badly needs a victory. He enters the lightweight bout against Joel Alvarez on a two-fight skid and is winless since 2017. Duffy hasn't quite met expectations throughout his UFC career, recording a 4-3 record. But whether he's winning or losing, the Irishman is always in exciting fights.