- UFC UFC Fight Night Sandhagen vs Figueiredo: Date, time, fight card, odds and where to watch from USA
- UFC Tsarukyan presents himself as Ilia Topuria's rival for the belt... if Makhachev moves up to welterweight
Deiveson Figueiredo (24-4-1) is one of the most important names in recent years in the UFC. Thanks to him and Brandon Moreno, a flyweight division that was destined to be forgotten was saved. They starred in four historic title fights and, once the Mexican finished 'Deus da Guerra' in their last encounter, Figueiredo decided to move up to bantamweight so as not to suffer so much with the weight cut. With three wins and one loss in his new venture, Deiveson will face Cory Sandhagen (17-5) this Saturday in Des Moines, a vital fight for his future.
In the flyweight division, Figueiredo was almost unbeatable. His punching power was not typical of that category, which he combined with his good ground skills, making him one of the most feared champions in the history of the division. When he moved up to bantamweight, the Brazilian had to vary his style, as he stopped knocking out with one punch. However, his talent allowed him to transform and in his new venture he defeated Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt and Chito Vera in succession.
The 'Figueiredo 2.0' surprised the entire UFC by remaining undefeated in a higher weight class, until he ran into Petr Yan. The Russian fighter was far superior to the Brazilian and defeated him by unanimous decision, which left 'Figgy' between a rock and a hard place. Considering that Alexandre Pantoja - the current flyweight champion - has not found an opponent since Deiveson left, the UFC is considering the option of Figueiredo returning to 125 pounds to reactivate the category. Figueiredo already beat Pantoja in his time, but it will all depend on the outcome of his fight against Sandhagen.
A worrying physique
Rumors about his return to flyweight have intensified after some photos were leaked of Figueiredo a few days before his fight, where he looked overweight. The Brazilian justified his move up to bantamweight by saying that he was putting his health at risk by weighing in at 125 pounds, but on this occasion he has let himself go too far. However, when he took the official photos with the UFC, his physique already looked much more like the one he sported in his recent fights.
Sandhagen and Figueiredo are ranked number four and five in the division respectively, but a loss would leave 'Deus da Guerra' in no man's land. A champion like him is not meant to have residual fights, so if he loses to Sandhagen, the UFC is likely to look at a future rematch between Pantoja and Deiveson.