Deiveson Figueiredo decisions Montel Jackson in UFC Rio co-main event

A bantamweight bout between contenders served as Saturday's UFC Rio co-main event in Rio de Janeiro. Former two-time flyweight champion and No. 6 ranked bantamweight Deiveson Figueiredo took on No. 10 ranked Montel Jackson.

Figueiredo entered the fight coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career. After winning his first three fights after moving up to the 135-pound weight class, Figueiredo lost to Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen. He was looking to rebound on Saturday.,

Jackson was riding a six-fight winning streak and looking to continue the momentum. He hadn't felt defeat since July 2020. 

Figueiredo landed first with a leg kick while Jackson took the center of the cage and connected with a combination. Figueiredo continued to invest in leg kicks. He clinched and tripped Jackson to the ground. As Jackson worked to stand, Figueiredo took his back. Jackson scrambled free and they separated midway through the round. Figueiredo rushed into the pocket but came up short with his punches. Jackson caught a kick and landed a counter right hand. Figueiredo again rushed in but connected with a right hand. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Figueiredo. 

Figueiredo ducked under a punch and good Jackson down. He quickly advanced to the mount position. He applied an arm-triangle choke but Jackson defended the submission attempt. Jackson scrambled to his feet and began to move forward. He connected with a right hand. Figueiredo answered with a right. Jackson stopped a takedown attempt late in the round. Figueiredo land to the body with a kick. Jackson landed a left had on the inside. The action picked up in the closing seconds. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Figueiredo. 

Figueiredo began the final round by pressuring Jackson. Jackson landed a right hand as Figueiredo closed the distance. The pace slowed with each fighter looking to counter. Jackson delivered a hard outside leg kick. Figueiredo moved laterally on the outside. They clinched and Jackson took Figueiredo down. Figueiredo kicked him off and stood. They exchanged leg kicks. Neither fighter engaged. Figueiredo urged Jackson to exchange. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Figueiredo but it was a largely uneventful round. 

The judges scored the fight for Figueiredo via split decision. The scorecards read 29-28, 28-29, and 29-28.