Deiveson Figueiredo knows what it takes to become a champion in the UFC.
Following his submission win to kickoff UFC 300 Saturday night, Figueiredo believes he deserves the next shot at the bantamweight belt.
Figueiredo handled fellow ex-UFC champ Cody Garbrandt, locking up a rear-naked choke late in the second round. The win was his second straight since moving up to bantamweight.
After losing the flyweight title to Brandon Moreno in 2023, Figueiredo opted to try his hand at a new division. He knocked off Rob Font in December and now is 2-0 along with being 23-3-1 overall.
“I am ready again, whatever Dana (White) decides,” Figueiredo said during the post-fight press conference. “I’m going to be it.
“I’m a former champion coming up and winning in this division. I want to fight for the championship. I deserve to fight for the championship next.”
Sean O’Malley, the current champion, is coming off a title defense over Marlon Vera in March.
Figueiredo had four fights with Moreno from 2020-2023, going 1-2-1 over that span. The flyweight title was on the line each time.
Back in early 2020, he claimed the vacant title with a technical submission of Joseph Benavidez, defending it once vs. Alex Perez.
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