Joseph Benavidez

After an uneventful first round of striking between the two, Benavidez stung Fabiano with a left and pounced, submitting the 3rd degree black belt with a guillotine choke at 2:45 of the second round.

Joseph Rolando Benavidez (born July 31, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist.

He competed in the Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Benavidez was born on July 31, 1984, in San Antonio, Texas, and is of Mexican descent.

Benavidez grew up with his single mother and two brothers.

He attended Las Cruces High School, where he began training boxing.

At the age of 16, he also began wrestling, discipline in which he became a New Mexico State champion.

He continued to wrestle for one semester at William Penn University before dropping out.

From college onwards Benavidez struggled with alcohol and drug abuse before becoming sober, subsequently turning his interest into mixed martial arts.

After fighting in smaller shows while working as a screen printer in Las Cruces, New Mexico, he joined up with Urijah Faber's Team Alpha Male in 2007.

Benavidez has since fought in Dream, WEC and most recently the UFC.

His fighting style has drawn comparisons to training partner and former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber.

Hoping to eventually make a living fighting MMA, he sought out Faber on a trip to California in January 2007.

Unable to find Faber's gym, he visited one in Roseville hoping to locate him.

There his fighting ability impressed the members and instructors enough (or, in Faber's words: "[he] basically beat the crap out of everyone") to refer him to Faber.

This was only hours before Benavidez' flight home was due and he had to leave for the airport, unable to meet up with him.

"I had finally found him, and it was at the end of my vacation. I went to airport and my friends dropped me off; [I] was ready to go back to New Mexico and my regular life."

His flight was then canceled, giving him the chance to meet up with Faber as he had hoped.

Benavidez impressed Faber enough to offer him a job at the front desk of his gym, enabling him to leave New Mexico to come train with him and his team.

Benavidez then went back to New Mexico, "jammed everything into his car" and moved to California.

After fighting with smaller US-based promotions, Benavidez was offered a fight with Norifumi Yamamoto by Japanese MMA-promoter Dream in July 2008 at Dream 5.

The bout was canceled only days before the fight, and Benavidez was instead matched against Junya Kodo whom he defeated by guillotine choke submission.

Benavidez was then signed by US-based World Extreme Cagefighting.

On December 3, 2008, he fought Danny Martinez at WEC 37 and won by unanimous decision.

Benavidez faced Jeff Curran on April 5, 2009, at WEC 40.

Benavidez dominated Curran from the opening bell with superior grappling and striking, knocking the opponent down in the first round.

Curran unsuccessfully attempted an armbar in the second round and a triangle choke in the third round.

Next, Benavidez faced Dominick Cruz on August 9, 2009, at WEC 42.

He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Benavidez fought Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Rani Yahya on December 19, 2009, at WEC 45.

Benavidez won via first round TKO.

On April 27, 2010, the Mayor and City Council of the City of Las Cruces proclaimed April 27 as Joseph Benavidez Day in Las Cruces.

Before joining up with Urijah Faber, Benavidez fought in smaller shows and trained while working as a screen printer in New Mexico.

Benavidez defeated former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres on March 6, 2010, at WEC 47.

He dominated the former Bantamweight Champion before opening a huge cut on Torres' forehead and submitting the bloodied Torres via guillotine choke.

Benavidez fought Dominick Cruz in a rematch for the WEC Bantamweight Championship on August 18, 2010, at WEC 50.

Benavidez lost to Cruz for a second time via split decision.

Benavidez faced Wagnney Fabiano on November 11, 2010, replacing an injured Brian Bowles.

Benavidez defeated Fabiano via second round submission.

On October 28, 2010, World Extreme Cagefighting merged with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.