Abu Dhabi – A win for UFC bantamweight Deiveson Figueiredo over former title challenger and #4 ranked Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera will get the former flyweight champion into the top 5 at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
“You know as a former champion when I moved up in weight I figured I was going to be in the top 5 fighting top 5 opponents,” Figuiredo told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.
“That didn’t happen right off the bat, but I continuously won, and now I’m going in there and fighting a guy who is in the top 5. A guy who I want to go in there and knock out. Do something that’s never happened to him before.”
Figueiredo (23-2-1) is the former UFC flyweight champion who came up to the bantamweight division following a grueling 4-fight rivalry with former champ Brandon Moreno. With Moreno taking the last fight Figuiredo made the decision to go up taking victories over Rob Font and Cody Garbrandt.
“Now I’m fighting at the top of the division and I’m going to get a knock out and keep moving forward,” he said.
At first Figueiredo wasn’t getting top 5 opponents, but now he’s in the thick of it with #4 ranked Vera.
“That didn’t bother me. I though that it was just a matter of time that would happen. Now here I am fighting Chito who will definitely get me really good placement with a win over him,” said Figueiredo.
“I always go in there to finish fights. I’m not the God of decisions. I’m the God of War.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Deiveson Figuiredo above. He takes on Marlon Vera at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
