Morning Report: Deiveson Figueiredo says 'I'd finish' Sean O'Malley in UFC bantamweight title fight

04/12/2023 14:00

Deiveson Figueiredo leveled up at UFC Austin this past Saturday.

The 35-year-old Brazilian finisher reached the pinnacle of the sport in the flyweight division, holding the UFC title on two occasions and competing in the first-ever tetralogy in promotional history. However, after dropping the 125-pound crown to his rival Brandon Moreno in January, Figueiredo decided the brutal weight cuts were enough and it was time to take his talent to 135 pounds.

Tasked with the perennial top 10 contender Rob Font as his welcoming party, Figueiredo passed his test with flying colors, pitching a 30-27 shutout across the board en route to a unanimous decision victory. Figueiredo originally targeted a clash with bantamweight's all-time greatest fighter Dominick Cruz for his original opponent and still has interest in the pairing. Ultimately, more gold is on the mind of "Deus Da Guerra" before he calls it a career.

"Being a former champion, if they were to put me in there to fight for the title, I'm super prepared for that," Figueiredo said in his UFC Austin post-fight scrum (h/t MMA Junkie). "I'm a former champion in the division below, where there are incredible fighters. I showed that I deserve that. Rob is one of the best in the division, and I want to test myself. If they give me the title [shot], I'll accept."

Figueiredo will need at least one more victory before testing himself against the current champion Sean O'Malley. "Sugar" is set to defend the title in a rematch with his old rival Marlon "Chito" Vera at UFC 299 in March, leaving Figueiredo and the rest of the division's premier contenders ample time to stake their claims.

One of the biggest questions ahead of Figueiredo's bantamweight debut was how he'd handle the size difference. Reach and length-wise, Figueiredo was at a slight disadvantage against Font and will be against most, but it was no real issue as shown. In a matchup with O'Malley down the line, the former flyweight titlist expects to put away his fellow knockout artist.

"Sean O'Malley has excellent striking, but I trust so much in my team and our strategy," Figueiredo said. "Today, I'm training with Henry Cejudo, one of the best in the division, and an intelligent guy when it comes to strategy. I'm a guy that's got a lot of jiu-jitsu. I'm truly a grappler, but I never liked using it. I'm a guy that would use a lot of striking in the octagon because I like to brawl. Certainly, I would make a great fight against Sean O'Malley. If I were to fight him and get to the ground, I'd finish him."

TOP STORIES

Controversy.Dana White: Jalin Turner vs. Bobby Green referee stoppage 'one of the worst I've ever seen'

Setback. Bobby Green releases statement following ugly knockout loss to Jalin Turner

Merciless. Arman Tsarukyan 'super happy' seeing Bobby Green's head 'bouncing on the canvas' after hotel confrontation

Unimpressed. Dana White reacts to Donn Davis claiming PFL will be 'co-leader' with UFC after buying Bellator: 'It's f****** hilarious'

Bad. 'F*** that ref': Pros react to horrific late stoppage in Jalin Turner vs. Bobby Green at UFC Austin

Growth.Juliana Velasquez: PFL 'growing a lot', can go head-to-head with UFC after Bellator acquisition

Path.Impa Kasanganay: 'I'm grateful the UFC cut me' on way to million-dollar PFL championship win

Championship. Mayra Bueno Silva predicts 2nd-round knockout of Raquel Pennington: 'She doesn't have courage'

Support. Alexandre Pantoja explains why he sides withLeon Edwards over 'a******' Colby Covington at UFC 296

VIDEO STEW

UFC Austin Post Show.

Matt Serra's Road to Recovery.

Free fights.

Full fight.

Burns and BJJ.

Fancy arm drag to Mir lock.

Paddy and the belts.

Brett Johns at Shore MMA.

Improper heavy bag usage.

Juan's training secrets.

MORNING MUSIC

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Collection.

Throwback.

Sambo.

Strong.

Slams.

That's a first.

They should fight.

On tour.

Homecoming.

Victory.

Reaction.

Impressive.

Prime time.

Sheesh.

Busted.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Steve Garcia Jr. (14-5) vs. Melquizael Costa (20-6); UFC Vegas 83, Dec. 9

Daniel Marcos (15-0) vs. Carlos Vera (11-3); UFC Vegas 83, Dec. 9

Tom Nolan (6-0) vs. Nikolas Motta (13-5);UFC Vegas 84, Jan. 13

Jeremiah Wells (12-3-1) vs. Max Griffin (19-10); UFC Vegas 86, Feb. 10

Hyder Amil (8-0) vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (39-11); UFC Vegas 86, Feb. 10

Andrea Lee (13-8) vs. Miranda Maverick (12-5);UFC 298, Feb. 17

Anthony Hernandez (11-2) vs. Ikram Aliskerov (15-1); UFC 298, Feb. 17

Brandon Moreno (21-7-2) vs. Amir Albazi (17-1); UFC Mexico City, Feb. 24

Eryk Anders (15-8) vs. Jamie Pickett (13-10); UFC Saudi Arabia, March 2

FINAL THOUGHTS

Bantamweight is so stupidly good. I cannot wait for all the potential Figueiredo matchups that await us. O'Malley obviously won't be next, but I'd love to see it sooner rather than later.

Thanks for reading!

POLL POSITION

Last Week's Results:

Friday: 53% of 355 total votes answered "Yes" when asked, "Is Max Holloway the best option for Aljamain Sterling's debut at featherweight in the UFC?"

Thursday: 42% of 380 total votes answered "Beneil Dariush and Bobby Green" when asked, "Who wins this weekend?" Arman Tsarukyan defeated Dariush via first-round knockout (punches) at 1:04 in the UFC Austin main event. Jalin Turner defeated Green via first-round knockout (punches) at 2:49 in the UFC Austin co-main event.

Wednesday: 62% of 412 total votes answered "Kayla Harrison" when asked, "Which fight do you prefer for Cris Cyborg next?"

Tuesday: 67% of 382 total votes answered "Yes" when asked, "Is Beneil Dariush vs. Dustin Poirier the next move for Dariush if he wins at UFC Austin?"

Monday: 48% of 412 total votes answered "Stipe Miocic" when asked, "Who should Tom Aspinall fight next?"

Today's exit poll:

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