Jake’s Takes | Deiveson Figueiredo is on the way to bantamweight

In the recent days, MMA headlines have been covering the ongoing saga with UFC flyweight Deiveson Figueiredo. The Brazilian powerhouse is unhappy with the creation of an interim title during his absence due to injury. Now, ‘Deus da Guerra’ is giving the UFC an ultimatum that could see him relinquish his title.

This is my two cents on it all – this is Jake’s Takes!

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The summer of 2020 saw Deiveson Figueiredo claim the 125lb title with a brutal win over Joseph Benavidez. The champion got his first title defense against Alex Perez in November, before turning around three weeks later and fighting future-rival Brandon Moreno. The pair fought to a hotly-contested draw, all but guaranteeing a rematch between the two.

The following June, Figueiredo and Moreno had a rerun of their first contest. This time around, Moreno was able to beat the champion from pillar to post, finishing him in the third round. The loss was seemingly the end of the rivalry, with the new-champ Moreno surveying fights with Alexandre Pantoja and Askar Askarov. Injuries for both opponents gave way for a third fight between Moreno and Figueiredo to be booked.

The loss sparked a fire in the Brazilian. He teamed up with former double-champ Henry Cejudo in preparation for the rubber match. Their third fight was reminiscent of their initial meeting, with the fight going to a close decision. Figueiredo would get the judges’ nod and become a two-time champion in the process. With the series now tied up at 1-1-1, a fourth fight seemed inevitable.

Reports after the fight suggested that Figueiredo had sustained injuries to his hand, which would keep him sidelined. The champion was eyeing a return for winter, but the UFC had other plans. An interim title fight between former champion Moreno and top contender Kai Kara-France was booked for UFC 277 only a few weeks ago.

In the media, Figueiredo let it be known that he wasn’t on board with the UFC’s creation of the title. Speaking to MMAFighting, the champ said, “I think there was some miscommunication. The UFC was supposed to get these documents that prove my injury, but, from what I’ve heard, the UFC hasn’t received it. They could’ve reached out to me to know if I was okay instead of booking a fight for an interim belt.”

“That was bullshit. I’ve saved a main event in the UFC, doing the quickest turnaround in the history of the UFC as a champion, and now I’m getting ripped off,” he continued. “The belt is mine. There’s no other belt, except for this plastic belt. This joke they’re doing between Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France.”

The validity of the interim title is an issue for the flyweight kingpin, but he also feels like the wrong man is fighting Moreno for the ‘plastic belt’.

“They’re two guys who are at the top, but I think they put the wrong guy to fight Brandon Moreno,” he said. “I think the guy to fight him should be [Alexandre] Pantoja. I don’t know what happens with the UFC. We don’t think they value Pantoja. They don’t give the opportunity to a good fighter like Pantoja.”

The cut to flyweight has been notoriously hard on the the champion, with him even missing weight in his first meeting with Joseph Benavidez. The creation of an interim title and stripping Figueiredo of his undisputed status appears to be the straw that broke the camel’s back; ‘Deus da Guerra’ wants a bigger paycheck if he’s going to continue fighting as a flyweight. If not, a move to 135lbs will be on the cards.

“I don’t rule out this option. It’s up to the UFC. If we have a chat and they can increase my earnings inside the organization, then I’ll stay in the division. If nothing happens, I’ll be forced to move up. I’ll stay at flyweight if they increase my purse. I already wanted [to move up] but still wanted to fight three more fights in the division. With this decision [to create an interim title], they’ve made my decision to go up sooner 95% more likely.”

Given the UFC’s tendency to be steadfeast during their negotiations, it seems rather unlikely that Figueiredo’s demands of a bigger cheque will be met. This could open the door to a superfight between Figueiredo and bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Even if that is a possibility, the chances of the UFC allowing Figueiredo to carry the title into that fight are slim.

With an international star in Moreno booked for a title fight, the promotion may strip Figueiredo entirely and let their more marketable athlete fight for the undisputed title at UFC 277. If the status of the fight isn’t changed, Moreno could still be promoted to undisputed after the fight. This, in the UFC’s eyes, would eliminate the need for a unification fight, the need to pay Figueiredo more and to potentially jeopradise the messy 135lb title picture by inserting their reigning 125lb champ.

Whether the promotion will choose to strip him or not, I can absolutely see Figueiredo making the move to bantamweight later this year. It seems beneficial to the UFC to allow Moreno a chance to become undisputed and not increase Figueiredo’s pay by allowing him to shift weight classes. The morals of those involved, if it does pan out that way, will be questioned, but we’ve seen how the UFC operates.

By the end of the year, I think ‘Deus da Guerra’ will have found a new home as a bantamweight.