Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo’s ascent to a title came at a legend’s expense.
Deiveson Figueiredo is a dangerous out for any UFC bantamweight and flyweight after a star-studded run in the promotion. After multiple title reigns in the UFC flyweight division, Figueiredo’s move to bantamweight has resulted in recent victories over the likes of Marlon Vera, Cody Garbrandt, and Rob Font.
Figueiredo returns this Saturday in the UFC Des Moines main event against Cory Sandhagen in a matchup between two of the most dangerous bantamweights. The winner will move one step closer to a potential title shot ahead of the Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley rematch.
After Demetrious Johnson‘s UFC departure left the flyweight division in flux, Figueiredo was one of several top names to resurrect the promotion’s smallest weight class. But his ascent to the UFC flyweight champion was anything but ordinary.
Joseph Benavidez let out a bloodcurdling scream after waking up from submission
After Figueiredo lost to Jussier Formiga in March 2019, many questioned whether or not the talented Brazilian had what it took to hoist a UFC championship belt. But following wins over former The Ultimate Fighter winner Tim Elliott and current reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja, Figueiredo fought for the then-vacant flyweight belt less than a year after the Formiga defeat.
Figueiredo’s first chance at UFC championship glory fell short of the mark despite a victory in the Octagon. Ahead of his first title fight against Joseph Benavidez in Feb. 2020, Figueiredo missed the flyweight limit by 2.5 pounds before earning a second-round knockout over Benavidez.
A rematch between Figueiredo and Benavidez was booked just months later for the still-vacant flyweight championship. This time, there was no controversy.
Figueiredo submitted Benavidez with a rear-naked choke with seconds left in the first round in July 2020, earning the Brazilian the flyweight championship. But seconds after choking Benavidez to sleep, Benavidez’s return to consciousness ended in a disturbing, viral moment in the cage.
As you can watch below, Benavidez let out a blood-curdling scream as he regained consciousness in the cage.
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Deiveson Figueiredo targeted by UFC Des Moines rival with AI jabs
Figueiredo’s submission of Benavidez led to wins over the likes of Alex Perez and Brandon Moreno, before losing to Moreno twice in their tetralogy. He made the full-time transition to bantamweight after falling to Moreno at UFC 283 in what was his final flyweight title defense.
Figueiredo is looking to get back in the win column after UFC Des Moines after a loss to Petr Yan at UFC Macau in November. Ahead of UFC Des Moines, Sandhagen hasn’t pulled punches in jabbing his upcoming rival.
Sandhagen went to unorthodox lengths to tease Figueiredo before their clash on Saturday. In a recent YouTube vlog, Sandhagen got the help of the AI model ChatGPT to roast Figueiredo.
Figueiredo has the chance to get the last laugh when he meets Sandhagen this weekend in the Octagon. Despite the high mileage, Figueiredo still believes he can compete for UFC belts and shake up the bantamweight division.