Deiveson Figueiredo isn’t just feeling 100% going into his UFC Macau main event, but 200%, he joked this week.
Figueiredo (24-3-1) is taking on a fellow former UFC champ, Petr Yan, at the Fight Night card that is the UFC‘s return to mainland China. Brazil’s “God of War” is himself a former flyweight champ, who helped revitalize that weight class.
Since arriving at 135lbs, he’s rattled off three straight victories to establish himself as a real player at bantamweight.
“I’m about to take on a great name, great dude, but he’s about to take on a great name as well,” he said during an appearance in Macau this week. “A tough dude as well. And you can be sure I have a great strategy to finish him this Saturday.”
Later, Figueiredo would speak on how things have been feeling for him at 135lbs, after spending years cutting an extra ten pounds to make the flyweight limit.
“I found myself in this division. I feel great. My mind and my body are healthy, I feel strong, and as you can see, I’ve finished all my fights, been victorious in all my fights.”
Figueiredo may have misspoke in that last bit, as he has one finish in his three bantamweight wins. Still, the names he has moved past are impressive: Rob Font, ex-champ Cody Garbrandt, and title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera. Another big win, and title talk will become a near certainty.
“Saturday against Petr Yan, beating him will put me in a great position to fight for a title,” Figueiredo acknowledged on that front. “He’s a guy who’s really strong in striking, but also I’m really strong in striking. And by beating, I want Merab after.”
Of course, Deiveson Figueiredo may have to take a number. It appears that next up for champion Merab Dvalishvili will be Umar Nurmagomedov.
Watch the full video with Deiveson Figueiredo above.
