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#4. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Marlon Vera
Right now, it’s probably fair to say that there are few hotter fighters in the bantamweight division than Marlon Vera. ‘Chito’ is riding a three-fight win streak, broke into the top five with his win over Rob Font last month, and is one of the most exciting men in the entire UFC to watch.
However, when it comes to the bantamweight title picture, it’s arguable that he’s the odd man out of sorts. Not only is he behind T.J. Dillashaw, Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen in the queue for a shot at Aljamain Sterling, but Henry Cejudo will probably leapfrog him if he returns, too.
Vera has definitely earned a high-level fight, though, so why not match him with Deiveson Figueiredo if the current flyweight kingpin decides to follow through with his move to 135 pounds?
Put simply, this would be an absolutely huge fight between two of the most explosive members of the UFC’s roster. More importantly, the stakes would be high, too.
For Vera, it’d give him a chance to knock off a proven champion who’s at the peak of his game. For Figueiredo, it’d give him a shot at jumping right into the upper echelon at bantamweight with a win over one of the division’s hottest stars.
Who would win? Who knows. Both men have similar skills in that they’re aggressive and skilled in all areas, but also have a few holes in their game, making them both deadly but vulnerable. It’s safe to say that if the UFC signed this one, nobody would be able to take their eyes off it.
#3. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Sean O’Malley
This potential fight for Deiveson Figueiredo comes with a natural caveat, as Sean O’Malley is actually signed to fight Pedro Munhoz in early July at UFC 276 in what should be a huge test for him. However, should ‘The Sugar Show’ pass that test, then a clash with the former flyweight champ could definitely work for him.
Could it work for Figueiredo too? Absolutely. O’Malley is not as proven as some of the other potential opponents for ‘God of War’, but due to his flashy style and outspoken nature, he’s managed to become one of the most high-profile bantamweights in the UFC.
As his fight with Marlon Vera in 2020 proved, though, ‘Sugar’ is still very much a vulnerable fighter, particularly against an opponent as dangerous in all areas as Figueiredo. The Brazilian would be hopeful of winning this one, but due to his one-shot KO power, so would O’Malley.
A victory over the Montana native would not move Figueiredo into instant title contention, as he’s only ranked at No.13 in the division right now, but it’d definitely cause some noise. That might be the best thing for ‘God of War’ if he does move up in weight.
