Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo will make his bantamweight debut this weekend at UFC Austin. The 135lb mainstay and veteran Rob Font will introduce him to his new weight class and will pose a unique challenge to the Brazilian. How will the ‘God of War’ fare in one of the deepest divisions in the UFC?
Deiveson Figueiredo Moves to Bantamweight Division
Figueiredo was always big for the flyweight division. His move to 135lbs could be a smart career move for the 35-year-old as he will no longer have to cut so much weight. His power will surely carry, and a close eye will be kept on his cardio. After a glittering flyweight career, Figueiredo could insert his name into the title picture with a couple of good wins at bantamweight.
Speaking to MMA Fighting, Figueiredo said: “I hope to one day get to the title fight in this division. That depends a lot on what I do against them.”
He isn’t looking past Font, but does have his eye on a potential matchup with bantamweight great Dominick Cruz.
“That would be a great name for me to fight in my second fight in the division. It was going to be Dominick now but he’s injured. He’s a former champion and it would be a dream for me to fight a guy that once was a champion,” said Figueiredo.
All quotes credit to mmafighting.com
Flyweight Success
Figueiredo will likely end his career as a bantamweight, but his achievements at flyweight will go down in history. He won the flyweight title after defeating Joseph Benavidez in 2020 by first-round submission and then defended the belt in the same fashion against Alex Perez.
Figueiredo went on to fight Brandon Moreno a record-breaking four times. Each fight was a thriller, and each time the title was on the line. The first fight ended in a majority draw, before Moreno won the title by submitting Figueiredo in the rematch. Figueiredo reclaimed the belt in the third fight but lost to Moreno again in the fourth bout.
The Brazilian has seven stoppage wins in the flyweight division, matching Demetrious Johnson‘s record. He has 11 knockdowns which is the most in the division’s history, and also has the fastest title fight turnaround in UFC history at 21 days.
How far can Figueiredo go in the bantamweight division? His journey at 135lbs begins on Saturday.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
