Deiveson Figueiredo headed for MRI on his injured knee, remains in 'good spirits' despite loss
05/04/2025 05:30 PM
Deiveson Figueiredo won't know the full extent of the injury to his knee until returning home to Brazil where he'll receive an MRI following a disappointing end to his main event fight against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Des Moines.
On Sunday, Figueiredo's manager Alex Davis told MMA Fighting that the former two-time UFC flyweight champion remains in "good spirits" with hopes that the injury isn't too severe.
While nothing is determined yet, Figueiredo could have potentially suffered a strained knee, which is a far better result than any tear that could possibly then require surgery.
The injury occurred in the second round when the bantamweights were battling for position on the ground and Sandhagen sat up, which then torqued Figueiredo's knee and he immediately tapped out from the considerable pain. Sandhagen later explained that it's a position he drills a lot with his grappling coach Ryan Hall and it's not uncommon for a fighter to suffer a knee injury in that situation.
That's apparently what happened to Figueiredo and he was ultimately helped out of the octagon before going backstage to receive medical attention.
Just after the fight ended, Figueiredo released a brief statement on social media regarding his loss.
"The result is not always what we want, but the fight goes on," Figueiredo wrote on Instagram (via translation). "Thank you from the heart to God, my family, my team and all of you who cheer, support and believe in me.
"We will come back stronger. I'm a warrior and this is just another chapter of my story!"
The setback serves as Figueiredo's second loss in a row overall after he dropped a decision in a five-round war with former champion Petr Yan this past November.
Prior to the back-to-back losses, Figueiredo had stormed through the bantamweight division with three straight wins including victories over former champion Cody Garbrandt as well as one-time title challenger Marlon Vera.
With Figueiredo headed home to Brazil, he's expected to meet with his doctor in the coming days to undergo the MRI where he'll find out the full extent of any injuries to his leg.
