Benavidez (28-8) and Condit (32-14) separately announced their decisions to retire this week. Benavidez, 37, was a staple member of Team Alpha Male, graduating from WEC to the UFC with the introduction of the flyweight division in 2012. Benavidez fought and lost to Demetrious Johnson at UFC 152 in the flyweight tournament finals. He went on to rematch Johnson the next year but was unsuccessful, losing by KO in the first round. It took Benavidez seven years to get another title shot, this time against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Fight Night 169 in 2020. Benavidez lost but gained a rematch as a result of Figueiredo missing weight. Benavidez lost the rematch five months later, and this is basically the story of his career--at times, the second or third best fighter in his division, but never reached the top. Condit, also 37, also moved up from WEC but was their welterweight champion at the time with three successful defences. His UFC career got off to a bad start as he lost his debut match to Martin Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 18 in 2009. Condit would reel-off five straight wins, defeating the mainstays of the division (Ellenberger, MacDonald, Hardy, Kim, and Diaz), with the Diaz fight being for the interim championship. Condit faced and lost against the reigning champion GSP in 2012, a loss that would essentially derail his career. Condit would lose eight of his next twelve fights including a title fight against Robbie Lawler in 2016.
