If you watch UFC events, you probably know Megan Olivi as the reporter who delivers interviews and stories from the arena. Fans also often ask about her personal life, and the question that comes up most is who her husband is. The short answer is that Megan Olivi is married to retired UFC flyweight Joseph Benavidez. This article explains who he is, what he achieved in mixed martial arts, how the couple’s story has developed, and what their life looks like today.
Who Is Megan Olivi’s Husband?
Joseph Benavidez, nicknamed “Joe Jitsu,” is a former mixed martial artist who spent most of his career in the lighter weight classes. Megan uses his nickname on social media, where her Instagram profile describes her as wife to @joejitsu and mom to Vito. He is not a public figure in the way she is, because he left competition several years ago and now lives a quieter life. Still, in fight circles his name is very well known, and that is why so many people search for him when they look up Megan.
How Megan Olivi and Joseph Benavidez Met
Most reports agree that the two first crossed paths around 2009, while both were working in the MMA industry, and that they began dating around that time. They were reportedly engaged in 2014 and married in 2015. Some websites add more detail about the wedding, but the couple has kept most of it private, so those extra details are hard to verify. For that reason, this article sticks to the dates that appear consistently across reliable reporting.
One point of interest for fans is that Megan rarely sat cageside during his fights because of her job. When he fought for the flyweight title in 2020, it was described as a rare occasion for the UFC reporter to watch her husband compete from cageside. Her role as a neutral broadcaster meant she had to balance her work and her role as a supportive wife.
Joseph Benavidez’s Fighting Career
Benavidez began fighting professionally in 2006 and became one of the best small-weight fighters in the world. He first became well known in World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), where he rose alongside stars such as Jose Aldo, Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz. Around 2010 the WEC roster was absorbed into the UFC, and when the UFC created a flyweight division, Benavidez was a natural fit for it.
His most famous moments came in championship fights. In 2010 he lost a five-round decision to Dominick Cruz in a bid for the WEC bantamweight belt. In September 2012 he took part in the very first UFC flyweight title fight and lost a split decision to Demetrious Johnson. The two met again in December 2013, and this time Johnson knocked him out in the first round in Sacramento.
In 2020 he had two more title opportunities against Deiveson Figueiredo. He lost by second-round stoppage in February 2020 in a fight for the vacant flyweight title, and was submitted in the first round in July 2020. His last fight was a decision loss to Askar Askarov at UFC 259 in March 2021.
Although he never won a UFC belt, his record was still impressive. He finished with a 28-8 professional record and four attempts at flyweight gold, and he holds the most knockout wins in UFC flyweight history, with 13. UFC president Dana White also called him a pillar of the lighter weight divisions for many years, and said his fights with Cruz, Johnson and Henry Cejudo would be remembered.
Retirement and Life After MMA
Benavidez made his retirement official in September 2021, when he was 37. He explained that he had known he would not fight again after the Askarov loss but only made it official that week. Megan celebrated the news on Twitter by calling him her king and saying that retirement adventures were going to be fun.
Since leaving the cage, he has built a new career. Multiple reports say he now works as a real estate agent in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the couple lives in Las Vegas with their dog. Megan herself has said she was raised on the East Coast and considers Las Vegas her home. The move for her work happened years ago, in 2010, when she took a job covering the sport.
A Note on Where He Was Born
Reports disagree on this point. Some entertainment websites say Benavidez comes from San Antonio, Texas, while other fight-news coverage describes him as a native of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Since this is not confirmed in one clear, official statement, it is best to treat his birthplace as unsettled until he addresses it directly.
Do Megan Olivi and Joseph Benavidez Have Children?
Yes, they have one son. Megan announced the baby’s arrival in July 2025, and in her post she wrote that their son Vito Benavidez entered the world earlier that week. Members of the UFC community reacted quickly, and the official UFC account welcomed Vito to the “UFC fam.”
The road to parenthood was not easy for them. In a recent interview, Megan said they had a very hard time having Vito, with a lot of loss and struggle in getting and staying pregnant. She explained that she often kept a professional face on camera during broadcasts while dealing with heartbreak privately. Her willingness to talk about it has been widely praised, and it adds a more human layer to the image many fans have of her as a polished reporter.
In a 2026 interview, she described Vito as a young traveler who has already used his passport and loves hotels, which shows how the family still fits travel around her work schedule.
About Megan Olivi’s Career
Understanding her job also explains why the couple’s life is so tied to combat sports. She is the lead reporter for the UFC, conducting live reporting and interviews and hosting from the desk, and she also works as a sideline reporter for NFL on Fox during football season. Her education includes a political science degree from Seton Hall University and a master’s degree from Fordham University, and she chose broadcasting after leaving the path toward a political career.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Megan Olivi’s husband?
He is Joseph Benavidez, a retired UFC flyweight who fought for the title several times.
When did they get married?
Multiple reports say 2015, after they began dating around 2009 and got engaged in 2014.
What does Joseph Benavidez do now?
He works as a real estate agent in Las Vegas, according to several reports.
Do they have kids?
They have a son named Vito, born in early July 2025.
Did Joseph Benavidez ever win a UFC title?
No. He fought for the flyweight title four times but did not win, though he remained a top contender for years.
Final Thoughts
Megan Olivi’s husband, Joseph Benavidez, is a respected retired fighter whose career helped raise the profile of the lighter weight classes. The two have been together for well over a decade, have built a life in Las Vegas, and now have a young son. Both continue to share only selected parts of their lives online, which is why some details, such as the wedding, remain private.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is based on publicly available reporting as of September 2026. Some details of a private couple’s life, such as wedding specifics and birthplace, are reported inconsistently across the internet, so we have only included information we could support. Please check the people’s own verified social media accounts for the latest updates. This article is not affiliated with Megan Olivi, Joseph Benavidez, the UFC, or any related organization.
If you are also interested in learning about other public figures and their family backgrounds, you might want to check out our overview on Demacio Castellon and Nelly Furtado or learn more about Luther Lowe and Weijia Jiang.
EXPLORE MORE: Who Was Kiki Shepard? The Life and Legacy of the Beloved “Showtime at the Apollo” Host
Written by Hassan, founder and editor of NTX Magazine — an independent news and biography publication. Every article is researched and cross-checked against multiple public sources before publishing; see our Sourcing Standards page for details.
