Deiveson Figueiredo isn’t done with the flyweight division just yet.
Despite previously suggesting that he may head to 135lbs, the two-time flyweight champ appears to be staying put for now. Figueiredo (21-3-1) has been lined up to face Manel Kape (18-6) at UFC 290, with the card taking place July 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
ESPN Deportes was first to report the news.
Figueiredo’s last four fights have all come against the same man: Brandon Moreno. In December 2020, the then-reigning flyweight champ fought to a draw against Moreno, retaining his title. He’d lose the belt in a rematch in his very next fight, then reclaim the title in a third fight. With that leaving the pair’s career series tied at 1-1-1, a fourth fight was booked.
Going down at UFC 283 in Brazil this past January, Figueiredo lost the fight via TKO as a result of a cut that had opened up during the third round.
While the “God of War” would almost certainly be a contender at 135lbs, there is a logjam of opponents in the bantamweight division at the moment. With Moreno set to defend flyweight gold against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290, Figueiredo may still have a path back to the belt.
Kape (18-6) has won his last three fights, and had been expected to face Alex Perez at UFC San Antonio last month. Perez, however, pulled out of the fight last minute after suffering a seizure.
UFC 290 currently has the following fights reported for it:
- Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Yair Rodríguez (ic) — for the UFC featherweight championship / title unification bout
- Brandon Moreno (c) vs Alexandre Pantoja — for the UFC flyweight championship
- Bo Nickal vs. Tresean Gore
- Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Manel Kape
