It’s been a long time since Figueiredo has fought someone other than Brandon Moreno, but that chapter of his fighting career is over. He is moving up to bantamweight and will compete against Rob Font this Saturday. This fight will be a true test of his abilities, and will determine whether he can compete with the best in this division.
Deiveson Figueiredo, image-MMA Junkie
His Chances in Bantamweight
At 35 years old, Figueiredo has to move up a weight class. After losing to Brandon Moreno for the fourth time since 2020, there was very little chance of getting another chance at the flyweight belt.
Figueiredo v Moreno, image – Sporting News
Fighting at bantamweight, Figueiredo is set to compete against top ten contender, Rob Font. Coming in as an underdog, Figueiredo saw how Cory Sandhagen wrestled his way to a win over Font, so he decided to bring in Henry Cejudo, who has won both the flyweight and bantamweight belts, to help him work on his wrestling.
Henry Cejudo, image – Yahoo Sports
How He Can Win
If Figueiredo wants to win this fight, he will consider that he has a limited height and reach against a majority of his opponents, so he has to win on the ground. Figueiredo has the cardio to go 25 minutes, so a three-round fight shouldn’t be a problem. Also, Rob only has 46% takedown defense. Whereas, Figueiredo has three wins by submission in the UFC, and averages 1.8 submissions per 15 minutes.
Rob Font, image – MMA Fighting
Even as an underdog, I have Figueiredo winning this fight by decision. I don’t see him getting a title fight in the future, mainly because of how stacked this division is. If you look at the top 10 bantamweight fighters, excluding Font, I can see (maybe) one more win, but no more. Everyone in that division is elite, which makes a win really hard.
Make sure you watch Saturday night to see how Figueiredo does!
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