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 informed MMA Combating. “I hope this struggle takes me to a title shot. [Vera] has fought the most effective of the division, he simply fought for the belt now, and I would like to check myself towards the champion — and for that, I have to beat him. I actually need the UFC to provide me this chance for the belt so I can show that I can one hundred pc take that belt.”
In 33 fights as knowledgeable, Vera has by no means been completed earlier than — a formidable feat contemplating the listing of athletes he’s confronted, from Jose Aldo and Cory Sandhagen to O’Malley to John Lineker. “Chito” has a strong hit listing of his personal knockouts as nicely, together with O’Malley, Dominick Cruz, and Frankie Edgar. Figueiredo needs to provide him style of that medication.
“Beating ‘Chito,’ a submission or perhaps a knockout, would one hundred pc take me to a title struggle,” 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 the most effective of the division. That may be a mega accomplishment. I wish to do this, I wish 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 powerful, however folks make mistaken methods and recreation plans. Now we have a recreation plan that little question about it, if we’re one hundred pc on level, we are able to beat him in two rounds. I’ve the pace benefit. Closing the gap, being shorter than him, will favor me. I hope we are able to get a giant knockout over him on struggle night time.”
O’Malley received a dominant determination 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 fashion he does so nicely, and no shock, he’s the champion, however it’s arduous to maintain the struggle on the toes towards Merab,” Figueiredo stated. “He closes the gap and works towards the cage and that’s very harmful, he can take you down at any second. It’s a boring struggle, and with that recreation he can get the champion drained. I consider [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 observe the five-round contest.
“I’m right here and I’m prepared,” Figueiredo stated. “I might be very happy in the event that they put me because the back-up. I might be there able to struggle. I used to be the champion [at flyweight] and now I’m preventing a former contender. I’ll positively be subsequent for the struggle after beating him. I wish to be there within the entrance row for this struggle between O’Malley and Merab.”
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