The career path of Deiveson Figueiredo has been one of the most interesting in the UFC’s history.
Once the most feared man in the flyweight division, “Deus da Guerra” has taken a less violent approach in his run at bantamweight. Now fighting for the number three spot against Petr Yan, Figueiredo has one of his more chaotic fights lined up.
But the 36-year-old has been here before. He’s been the top contender, he’s been the champion. His fight with Yan at UFC Macau would be just a return to normalcy for Figueiredo.
Deiveson Figueiredo: New life at 135
After losing his four fight rivalry to Brandon Moreno, Deiveson Figueiredo moved to 135. Since moving up, the Brazilian is in a new form since moving to his new division. A win over Petr Yan would put him another step closer to the coveted double champion status.
Figueiredo’s rivalry with Moreno ended with him being a two time champion but lost a 1-2-1 record against the Mexican. After a series of several hard weight cuts, Figueiredo moved to bantamweight.
Since his arrival, he’s been spectacular. Figueiredo defeated Rob Font in a one sided affair, winning all three rounds on all three judges scorecards. He then opened the show up at UFC 300 and submitted Cody Garbrandt in round two. Most recently, he defeated a former title challenger in Chito Vera. He’s ready, now, for another huge challenge against a former champion.
An undeniable resume
Figueiredo has been silently building an undeniable resume ahead of UFC Macau. With wins over former champion Cody Garbrandt and former title challenger Chito Vera, the Brazilian is making it near-impossible to deny he’s the division’s top contender.
Now he faces Petr Yan, another former champion, who is looking to climb the mountain again himself. But for Figueiredo, who has faced the cream of the crop all of his career, this is just another day at the office. He’s fought Brandon Moreno, Joseph Benavidez, and Alex Perez at 125.
Petr Yan may be a challenge he’s never faced this weekend. But if history shows us anything it is that Figueiredo is built for this type of fight. It’s the fights that he thrives in.
