Gabriel
Benitez has established himself as a seasoned mixed martial
artist through 33 professional fights. The Tijuana, Mexico, native
has showcased his skills in the featherweight and lightweight
divisions of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. Benitez will face
Jim Miller in
a featured
UFC Fight Night 234 attraction this Saturday at the UFC Apex in
Las Vegas. He has not competed since he took care of
Charlie
Ontiveros with first-round punches in August 2022.
As Benitez prepares for his first assignment inside the Octagon in
17 months, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. He was a quick study in mixed martial arts.
Growing up, Benitez played soccer in school but quickly realized he
was not good enough.
In an episode of
Canopy Athletics Spotlight, he shared that although he engaged
in various sports and video games during his childhood, he never
truly felt connected with them. However, he started training MMA
when he was 18, and eight months into training, he realized that he
had found his calling. He felt an irresistible pull towards the
sport, and there was no looking back after that. “I started doing
martial arts when I was 18, and my first fight was [eight months
after] I started training,” Benitez said. “From there, you know, [I
felt it] like a magnet, the attraction, and I love this sport.”
2. Concern for his health pushed him to MMA.
Benitez asserted that he opted for MMA over boxing due to the
reduced risk of accumulated damage to the brain. This decision
aligns with the prevailing consensus within the combat sports
community that MMA’s multidimensional nature is perceived to
distribute impact more evenly across the body, reducing the
concentrated blows to the head associated with other sports like
boxing. Moreover, the incorporation of grappling and submissions in
MMA allows for varied offensive and defensive strategies,
potentially minimizing the accumulated damage and likelihood of
other brain injuries. “I chose MMA over other sports [because] it’s
fewer punches to the head,” Benitez said. “It’s not as dangerous as
boxing. [In] boxing, eight, 10 or 12 rounds, it’s all punches to
the head. You can see a boxer when they are like 37; they can’t
talk. MMA is tough, but you learn to live with pain.”
3. He found some keepsakes on his way up the ladder.
Benitez’s successful journey in MMA spans multiple promotions. He
captured the featherweight championships in the Ultimate Warrior
Challenge, Xtreme Kombat, Xtreme Fighters Latino and Xplode Fight
Series organizations. From a win over
Antonio
Ramirez to victories against
Daniel
Salas and
Ryan Bixler,
Benitez’s path exemplifies the trajectory of a seasoned MMA
warrior.
4. He associates with proven winners.
An affiliation with the renowned
American Kickboxing Academy highlights the standard of training
and the elite level of talent that surrounds Benitez in every
training session. The San Jose, California, camp is known for
producing elite fighters, including former Ultimate Fighting
Championship titleholders
Cain
Velasquez,
Daniel
Cormier,
Luke
Rockhold and
Khabib
Nurmagomedov. It has played a crucial role in shaping Benitez’s
skills. Benitez fought
Sodiq
Yusuff in a featured bout on the main card of UFC 241 and was
accompanied to the cage by Cormier, who headlined the event against
Stipe
Miocic. “He’s a really good motivation for all of us,”
Benitez said in an
interview with Ariel Helwani. “He’s a team captain, double
champion. He turned 40 and [was] still fighting. Everyone wants to
be like him.”
5. He remains a kid at heart.
“Moggly” spent time playing soccer and video games while growing up
before discovering his true passion for MMA. Leading up to his
clash against Yusuff at UFC 241, Benitez was spotted carrying
around a Nintendo Switch. The purpose? It serves as a way to divert
his mind. “You know, it’s the way I escape my mind [and] I’m a
gamer. I have a lot [of favorite games]. Depends on the console,
but right now, I started playing ‘Hello Neighbor.’”