Deiveson Figueiredo believes he ought to be subsequent in line for the bantamweight title with a stoppage of Marlon Vera at UFC Abu Dhabi, however he doesn’t count on Sean O’Malley to be holding the belt.
The previous UFC flyweight champion beat Rob Font after which completed Cody Garbrandt since shifting as much as bantamweight in 2023. Heading into Saturday’s occasion, Figueiredo is comfortable to be preventing a couple of miles away from the place he first received his UFC flyweight title in July 2020, solely this time to cement his place as the following man in line to problem the winner of the Sept. 14 title match between O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306.
“That is the place I received the belt, and to be preventing ‘Chito’ right here and hopefully win once more, this metropolis has proven it brings me luck already,” Figueiredo instructed MMA Preventing. “I hope this combat takes me to a title shot. [Vera] has fought one of the best of the division, he simply fought for the belt now, and I would like to check myself in opposition to the champion — and for that, I have to beat him. I really need the UFC to provide me this chance for the belt so I can show that I can 100% take that belt.”
In 33 fights as knowledgeable, Vera has by no means been completed earlier than — a powerful feat contemplating the checklist of athletes he’s confronted, from Jose Aldo and Cory Sandhagen to O’Malley to John Lineker. “Chito” has a stable hit checklist of his personal knockouts as nicely, together with O’Malley, Dominick Cruz, and Frankie Edgar. Figueiredo desires to provide him style of that medication.
“Beating ‘Chito,’ a submission or perhaps a knockout, would 100% take me to a title combat,” Figueiredo stated. “Knocking him out could be the icing on the cake, as a result of he has by no means been knocked out or submitted earlier than and he has fought one of the best of the division. That will be a mega accomplishment. I need to do this, I need to be the primary to cease him.”
“I’ve seen many paths to doing that,” Figueiredo continued. “We’ve studied him for 2 months and we see he’s robust, however individuals make improper methods and recreation plans. We’ve got a recreation plan that little doubt about it, if we’re 100% on level, we will beat him in two rounds. I’ve the pace benefit. Closing the gap, being shorter than him, will favor me. I hope we will get a giant knockout over him on combat night time.”
O’Malley received a dominant choice over Vera in his most up-to-date title protection, avenging his sole loss in MMA, and now faces Dvalishvili at Las Vegas’ Sphere to proceed his reign as 135-pound champ. However Figueiredo doesn’t see it as a positive conflict for the titleholder.
“If Merab stays on the surface, which is tough to occur, it favors Sean O’Malley. He can field nicely, do this ballet type he does so nicely, and no shock, he’s the champion, nevertheless it’s arduous to maintain the combat on the toes in opposition to Merab,” Figueiredo stated. “He closes the gap and works in opposition to the cage and that’s very harmful, he can take you down at any second. It’s a boring combat, and with that recreation he can get the champion drained. I imagine [Dvalishvili] wins the belt.”
Figueiredo plans to volunteer to be the back-up fighter for UFC 306 and sit entrance row on the Sphere to look at the five-round contest.
“I’m right here and I’m prepared,” Figueiredo stated. “I’d be very happy in the event that they put me because the back-up. I can be there able to combat. I used to be the champion [at flyweight] and now I’m preventing a former contender. I’ll positively be subsequent for the combat after beating him. I need to be there within the entrance row for this combat between O’Malley and Merab.”
