The former belt holder is hoping to take advantage of a historically quicker fighting path to claim another Ultimate Fighting Championship crown.
Coming off a two-fight win streak in his new division, bantamweight, former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo plans to fight for a title in the near future. On Saturday’s UFC on ABC 7 main card, Figueiredo (23-3-1) will face Marlon Vera (23-9-1) in a high-stakes bout at 135 pounds. The two fight at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Speaking to ShelDog the week of the fight, Figueiredo talked about his plans to beat the No. 1-ranked Vera and what will happen next.
“This camp took me completely out of my comfort zone,” the Brazilian explained. “I camped with Patricio in Natal for almost three months.
[Freire] and Patrick
[Freire] “Pitbull” helped him plan his strategy for the bout and impressed “Chito” with his improved kickboxing skills, as he had never been knocked out before. [Cody]
Garbrandt has never been submitted. Making history and doing something unprecedented is what motivates me.”
Knocking out a renowned fighter like the Ecuadorian would certainly impress the public and UFC brass, and Figueiredo would hope such a win could put him on the path to a championship bout.
“Tito lost a five-round decision to a champion in a title fight. I’m a former champion, so if I can get an impressive win, I think the UFC will give me a title fight,” Figueiredo said.
Figueiredo, who competed once in Abu Dhabi in 2020, made sure to familiarize himself with the time and the place early for this bout. The man known as “Daiko” flew in 15 days before the bout, hoping to remove one variable from the equation.
“I decided to come here two weeks early because I know how hard it will be to adjust to the local time zone and temperature. This match is really important for my career so I’m doing everything I can to win and finally get my chance.” [fight for] This is my second UFC belt,” Figueiredo concluded.
