Benitez and his rematch with Quarantillo

Last May 1, Gabriel ‘Moggly’ Benitez was scheduled to return to featherweight. However, after two fights at lightweight, he suffered several complications that prevented him from making the 145-pound limit.

His opponent for that event, Jonathan Pierce would not accept the 30 percent fine to sign at 150.5 pounds and the engagement was cancelled. A little more than two months later, the Tijuana native is confident that he can overcome the challenge of the scales and face Billy Quarantillo.

“Now I feel ready, I’m not looking for who did it to me, but who’s going to pay for it,” said Benitez, who explained that the process of the previous fight was very complicated, before and after making the weight cut.

“I bounced again, in fact I almost went to the hospital. Because of the cut, it was very hard after almost two years at 155 pounds, when we tried to go back to 145 if cost me a lot of work. My head started to hurt, I almost fainted, my kidneys hurt, I got cramps, it was hard, but this time we went back down and I’m ready,” added the fighter of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter Latinoamérica.

Benitez has a 22-8 record as a professional.

“I’m excited for this fight, Billy thinks he’s a striker, but in reality his forte is the floor and we’re ready for anything,” explained Benitez about his opponent, who is coming off his first loss in the promotion to Gavin Tucker.

He has a 15-3 record and came to the UFC by way of the Dana White Contender Series in 2019.

He knows his opponent’s wrestling could be a factor, but he’s confident in the preparation at his gym, AKA in San Jose, California, where Islam Makachev, star of this card against Thiago Moises made his camp alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“We have worked, all together, I still work some things on my side. We have in AKA, elite fighters, we worked for this and I’m ready,” he stated.

Benitez insists that he will look to fight in both divisions in the future, “I want to fight in 145 and 155, in both, if one comes out in 155 take it, but if they come in 145 ask for more time for preparation,” he explained.

Benitez said during the media day that he is “proud, like all Mexicans” of the championship won by his countryman, Brandon Moreno.

Benitez and Quarantillo open Saturday’s UFC Apex card, where Russia’s Makachev and Brazil’s Moises are looking to make a jump into the lightweight top ten.