With Jimmy Flick Now Retired, JP Buys Steps in To Face Francisco Figueiredo at UFC Fight Night on May 8th

Flick announced his retirement from MMA last week at the age of 30, having fought only once in the UFC. The submission specialist was booked to face Figueiredo in what was set to be both fighters’ second appearance in the octagon.

Flick reasoning that he was fighting for all the wrong reasons when explaining his decision to Ariel Helwani. Having achieved his dream of making it into the UFC and earning a victory, Flick now leaves fans mourning his sudden exit with the talented fighter having looked certain to be a star in the flyweight division.

With Flick now retired, Buys steps in looking to rebound from his debut loss against another exciting flyweight in the shape of Figueiredo.

JP Buys vs Francisco Figueiredo Set For May 8th

Francisco Figueiredo (12-3-1, 1-0 UFC) is the brother of UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. He made his UFC debut in January against Jerome Rivera, where he secured a comfortable unanimous decision victory. He has won seven of his 12 wins via submission, fighting across a variety of organizations.

JP Buys (9-3, 0-1 UFC) made his UFC debut last month as he took on Bruno Silva, falling to defeat via TKO in the 2nd round. His corner woman and wife Cheyanne Buys also made her UFC debut that night too. However, it was a night to forget for the Buys family as she fell short losing via unanimous decision to fellow newcomer Montserrat Ruiz. The pair both earned their UFC contracts on Dana White’s Contender Series, with JP Buys submitting Jacob Silva to earn his shot in the organization.

JP Buys vs Francisco Figueiredo will be another entertaining matchup for UFC fans to look forward to, as two of the hottest prospects in the flyweight division take on one another. As we may see another contender rise on May 8th in a division full of exciting talent.

Both fighters have won more than 50% of their fights by way of submission, hinting towards a grappling affair between the two as Buys looks to return to winning ways having previously been on a six-fight winning streak. As for Figueiredo, he will be hoping to emulate his brother’s winning beginnings in the UFC and secure his second victory in the organization.

With JP Buys vs Francisco Figueiredo official for May 8th, let’s take a look at the rest of the UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs T.J. Dillashaw line-up as it stands:

• Bantamweight: Cory Sandhagen vs T.J. Dillashaw
• Welterweight: Neil Magny vs Geoff Neal
• Welterweight: Donald Cerrone vs Diego Sanchez
• Strawweight: Amanda Ribas vs Angela Hill
• Lightweight: Diego Ferreira vs Gregor Gillespie
• Flyweight: Zarrukh Adashev vs Ryan Benoit
• Heavyweight: Maurice Greene vs Marcos Rogerio de Lima
• Welterweight: Christian Aguilera vs Carlston Lindsay Harris
• Flyweight: JP Buys vs Francisco Figueiredo
• Lightweight: Nikolas Motta vs Damir Hadzovic
• Flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi vs Taila Santos
• Middleweight: Tafon Nchukwi vs Jun Yong Park
• Heavyweight: Ben Rothwell vs Philipe Lins

Who do you see winning JP Buys vs Francisco Figueiredo? Does JP Buys rebound from his debut loss? Or does Francisco Figueiredo make it two wins from two in the UFC? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Follow me on Twitter @Dionwills16 for more combat sports news and discussions. Also, make sure to follow @OT_Heroics for all of your sporting needs. And don’t forget @MMA_OTH for all things MMA. Come discuss this and much more at the Overtime Heroics forums!

Featured Image Credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images

JP Buys vs Francisco Figueiredo JP Buys vs Francisco Figueiredo