5 possible opponents for Deiveson Figueiredo if he moves up to bantamweight

#2. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cory Sandhagen

A clash between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo would make for fireworks

Despite the fact that he’s currently on a two-fight losing streak, it’s safe to say that Cory Sandhagen is still one of the most dangerous and proven bantamweights on the UFC’s roster. After all, ‘The Sandman’ holds wins over the likes of Frankie Edgar, Marlon Moraes and Raphael Assuncao, and is a consummate finisher in all areas.

However, due to his recent losses to Aljamain Sterling, T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan, it’s also true that Sandhagen simply isn’t close to the bantamweight title picture right now. More to the point, he’s still waiting for his next opponent.

With that considered, why not make a fight between ‘The Sandman’ and Deiveson Figueiredo? ‘God of War’ has never fought at 135 pounds, but if Sandhagen were to defeat him, then it’d stand as one of his biggest career wins for sure.

If Figueiredo were able to defeat Sandhagen, meanwhile, it’d almost certainly place him directly in title contention. After all, both Yan and Sterling were granted title shots after beating ‘The Sandman’.

Given Sandhagen’s well-rounded skills, dangerous finishing ability, and large size at 135, this would be a hugely tricky fight for ‘God of War’ to take – but the reward could make the risk well worth it.

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#1. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Jose Aldo

Could Deiveson Figueiredo take the Brazilian torch from Jose Aldo?

While the UFC’s roster currently features a number of highly rated, battle-tested Brazilian fighters, it’s probably fair to argue that the most legendary of them all is Jose Aldo.

The former UFC featherweight champion appeared to be past his prime a couple of years ago, but a move to 135 pounds seems to have revitalised him, and he’s now riding a strong three-fight win streak and is ranked at No.3 in the division.

However, right now Aldo doesn’t have his next opponent set – so could current UFC flyweight kin Deiveson Figueiredo fill that gap?

It’d definitely make for an intriguing fight. Both Aldo and Figueiredo have similar skill-sets, based around their explosive athleticism, striking power and underrated ground games, and while they both hail from Brazil, they’ve never actually trained as part of the same team.

Admittedly, Aldo probably wouldn’t gain too much from beating a smaller fighter like ‘God of War’, but a victory over Figueiredo would give him another big name on his ledger. A win for Figueiredo, on the other hand, would be huge, both in terms of moving him into the bantamweight title picture and in terms of Brazilian bragging rights.

Overall, if the UFC plans to return to Brazil in the near future, they could do much worse than book this fight as the event’s headliner.