4. Figueiredo’s Bantamweight Journey Approaches Summit
Changing weight classes doesn’t always produce the desired results, particularly when the journey in the second weight class is not expedited. But across two bouts, former flyweight champion Deiveson “Deus da Guerra” Figueiredo has impressed to the point that he’s started to elbow his way into the conversation of top bantamweights.
The Brazilian has turned back the likes of Rob Font and former champion Cody Garbrandt since making the move to 135 pounds last year and he’s looked to have found the form that saw him post a 20-1 record prior to losing the flyweight title. After having found himself taking a backseat to Brandon Moreno, Figuieredo has now re-injected momentum into a career that has seen him defeat the likes of current 125 pound kingpin Alexandre Pantoja and other veterans such as Tim Elliott and Joseph Benavidez.
A victory over recent title challenger and perennially ranked Marlon “Chito” Vera would propel him to the top of the division, and most importantly put him in the bottleneck that will likely see the headliner and either himself (or Vera) line themselves up for the winner between champion Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.
