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Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo feels ready for the top of his new division after a successful debut earlier this month. Having defeated a ranked Rob Font by unanimous decision in his most recent outing, ‘Deus da Guerra’ is already looking at champion Sean O’Malley, but will wait for the promotion to call the shots.
Deiveson Figueiredo feels ready for Sean O’Malley
Nonetheless, in an interview on the MMA Hour, should the UFC give Figueiredo a chance to prove his worth against O’Malley, the Brazilian was quick to say he would be ready for it. Even if he does not end facing the champion in his next outing, Deus da Guerra still believes a big name should be headed his way, given his former champion status and successful debut against a seasoned athlete in Font.
“I think that he has something to worry about,” Figueiredo recently said through his translator. “I’m the original. And if he’s the virus, I’m the antivirus to him.”
“I think I have a big name coming into the division,” Figueiredo said. “I think that’s definitely a possibility. I’m a two-time former champion. My last fight at 125 [pounds against Brandon Moreno,] I had not had a good camp and now I am great. I feel that could be a possibility. However, I will patiently await what the UFC has in mind for me.”
“I’m ready for whoever they wanna put me against,” Figueiredo said. “The first name to come to my mind would be Sean O’Malley, so besides him, whoever they put against me.”
Figueiredo is staying with Henry Cejudo
With former UFC double champion Henry Cejudo by his side as a coach, Deiveson Figueiredo feels like the partnership was a successful one and does not intend to change teams any time soon. Though he has not been with ‘Triple C’ for very long, the Brazilian praised the Olympian for his insights and the strategies he was able to develop for Deus da Guerra.
“I really like him,” said Figueiredo, who again moved to Arizona with his wife and son to work with Cejudo. “His strategies are awesome. He will be the master of masters among my coaches. I feel really, really comfortable here.”
Figueiredo only has three UFC losses
In his last outing, Deiveson Figueiredo (22-3-1) defeated Rob Font via unanimous decision in his UFC bantamweight debut, on December 2. The win made the 36-year-old recover from a TKO loss to Brandon Moreno in January of this year, which led to the Brazilian losing the flyweight belt for the second time.
During his flyweight run, Figueiredo scored wins over some of the biggest names of his generation. The Brazilian’s most notable wins include names such as Joseph Benavidez (twice), Brandon Moreno, John Moraga and even the current champion Alexandre Pantoja, whom Deus da Guerra bested via unanimous decision back in July 2019.
In fact, the 36-year-old’s losses are only to Moreno, in in 2021 and 2023 and a unanimous decision one to Jussier Formiga, back in March 2019.
