Not long ago, Deiveson Figueiredo towered over the UFC flyweight division. From his beatdown over Joseph Benavidez to his epic wars with Brandon Moreno, his reign was spectacular. When Deiveson moved up to bantamweight, many wondered whether he could replicate that success. So far, the results have been undeniable. He has now scored wins over Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon Vera.
Image – MMA Junkie
Even so, the division’s title picture seems packed at the moment. Merab Dvalishvili will fight Sean O’Malley, and the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov lurks in the wings. As a result, despite Deiveson’s impressive run in a new weight class, the former champion has flown below the radar.
Defeating Marlon Vera
Figueiredo faced a tough challenge in Marlon Vera. “Chito” had just come off a decision loss against O’Malley. While he lost decisively, Vera demonstrated incredible toughness and did land some effective strikes of his own. Meanwhile, Figueiredo had just come off an impressive submission win over Garbrandt at UFC 300, and looked to keep his momentum rolling.
Figueiredo used his impressive grappling to nullify Vera in the first round. Vera adjusted in the second round, and the two fighters exchanged on the feet. In the final round, Figueiredo demonstrated his terrifying power and dropped Vera. The former flyweight champion scored a unanimous decision over the most recent bantamweight title challenger.
Challenging for the Title
Normally, a former champion would quickly earn a title shot after winning in a new division. Yet, even with three dominant wins, Figueiredo may need at least one more. On the same card, Umar Nurmagomedov scored a huge win over Cory Sandhagen. Given Sandhagen’s spot in the rankings, that win likely cements Nurmagomedov as the next title challenger after Merab. As such, an opponent such as Sandhagen or Petr Yan may be next for Deiveson.
Skills
Although he now faces bigger opponents, Figueiredo’s skills remain effective. He has shown tremendous grappling ability in all of his bantamweight fights thus far. His power also remains a factor, dropping a notoriously durable opponent in Vera. Deiveson’s success at this stage in his career is a sight to behold.
Image – MMA Fighting
Legacy
We cannot forget that outside of Brandon Moreno, Figueiredo’s record is near perfect. Figueiredo’s rivalry with Moreno helped shape the flyweight division. Now, even at his age, he has positioned himself as a top ranked bantamweight. The fights ahead will only be more difficult. But regardless of the outcome, Figueiredo’s body of work has forever brought eyes on the lower weight classes.
Featured Articles
Featured Writers
