Movies

Deiveson Figueiredo is the UFC Abu Dhabi fighter to watch

BBG News

Deiveson Figueiredo is the UFC Abu Dhabi fighter to watch

As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for MMA, I’ve witnessed my fair share of battles, and let me tell you, Deiveson Figueiredo versus Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC Abu Dhabi is shaping up to be a thriller!

Previously holding the UFC flyweight title twice, Deiveson Figueiredo shifted to the bantamweight division in December and has since secured two victories, one of which was against a previous titleholder. In the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi event, Figueiredo will square off against Marlon “Chito” Vera. Seeking to expand his collection of titles, Figueiredo finds Vera an ideal opponent as he recently lost to bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley at UFC 299.

At UFC Abu Dhabi, there will be a bantamweight fight between contenders Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov. The secondary main event, which was supposed to be between Nick Diaz (returning) and Vicente Luque, has been cancelled due to travel complications. Instead, top prospect Shara “Bullet” Magomedov will take on veteran Michal Oleksiejczuk. Figueiredo and Vera will headline the event.

Deive Figueiredo commenced his professional journey with a flawless record of 15 victories. He entered the UFC in 2017 and achieved six wins there, losing only once before being granted a flyweight title opportunity. In his career, Figueiredo has triumphed over Jarred Brooks, who was previously the ONE champion, Alexandre Pantoja, the current flyweight titlist, and Tim Elliott, who won The Ultimate Fighter season 24.

At UFC Norfolk, Deiveson Figueiredo initially contended for the vacant flyweight title against Joseph Benavidez. However, Figueiredo was unable to make the required weight and was thus ineligible to claim the title after winning the fight. In a re-match at UFC Fight Island 2, Figueiredo successfully secured his first flyweight championship. Following a successful defense against Alex Perez, Figueiredo fought Brandon Moreno four consecutive times. Two of these bouts earned them “Fight of the Night” accolades, resulting in a record of 1 win, 2 losses, and 1 draw. Figueiredo reclaimed his flyweight title during this series. After losing to Moreno at UFC 283, Figueiredo decided to move up to the bantamweight division.

At UFC Austin, Figueiredo started his bantamweight career against Rob Font, and later at UFC 300, he defeated former bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt. In an impressive performance, Figueiredo knocked out Garbrandt in the second round; this was a significant win for Figueiredo as Garbrandt had been on a two-fight winning streak since moving back to his original division. Now, Figueiredo, who is ranked 6th, will fight against the 4th-ranked Vera in their upcoming matchup.

Ahead of the upcoming fight, Figueiredo has been spotted practicing with UFC Hall-of-Famer and ex-lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, whose relative Umar is participating in the main event. Given his superior ground game compared to Vera, if Figueiredo manages to apply pressure using his strikes to facilitate takedowns, it might prove a challenging night for the former title contender, potentially extending well into the evening.

Deiveson Figueiredo fights Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera at UFC Abu Dhabi

In March, Vera had his initial title bout and boasts an impressive 23-fight career in the UFC. He’s enjoyed three distinct winning streaks throughout his time in the organization. Vera holds multiple records, including the most division finishes, total fight duration, and submission attempts. He’s also among the top five in categories such as total strikes, significant strikes, knockdowns, fight night bonuses, wins, submission victories, and KO/TKO victories. Notably, Vera has defeated current bantamweight champion O’Malley and former champions Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz. Now, he aims to add another former champion, Figueiredo, to his list of opponents conquered. After their first title bout ended controversially, Vera faced O’Malley again for the championship, displaying resilience despite being outclassed over five rounds in their initial encounter.

Figueiredo and Vera make an intriguing pair, as both are highly skilled Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts. However, when it comes to striking, Vera seems to have a slight advantage, primarily due to his taller stature and longer reach compared to Figueiredo, who is the shorter fighter. It’s worth noting that Vera tends to struggle against opponents who apply constant pressure and move around a lot, which is something Figueiredo has shown proficiency in the past.

Read More

2024-07-31 22:13

Previous post Iván Cornejo helped popularize regional Mexican music in the U.S. Now, he’s helping it evolve.
Next post Jennifer Aniston shares birthday tribute for Friends co-star on Instagram