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After losing his flyweight title to longtime rival Brandon Moreno at UFC 283 this past weekend, Deiveson Figueiredo seemed to make it clear that a move to bantamweight lies in his future.
Deiveson Figueiredo will undoubtedly be an interesting addition to an already stacked 135-pound UFC division, so who should welcome ‘The God of War’ to his new weight class?
Unsurprisingly, there is no shortage of potential opponents for the Brazilian, who could definitely climb into title contention with the right win.
Here are five possible opponents for Deiveson Figueiredo upon his move to bantamweight.
#5. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
One bantamweight who has rapidly climbed into possible title contention is Umar Nurmagomedov.
The Dagestani, cousin of former UFC lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov, has reeled off four wins in the octagon since arriving there in 2021.
Now ranked No.11 in the division and sporting an unbeaten record of 16-0, all that Nurmagomedov needs to really break out as a potential threat to the bantamweight elite is a win over a big-name opponent.
Could Deiveson Figueiredo be that big name? In some ways, this fight would make plenty of sense. Nurmagomedov is a proven talent, but he isn’t quite elite just yet, and so he wouldn’t be the most dangerous foe for ‘The God of War’.
On the other hand, his skills – particularly his powerful wrestling – would make him a major threat to the Brazilian. He’d be impossible to ignore if he could knock off a former UFC champion.
Overall, this probably wouldn’t make for a big headline fight, but from a rankings perspective, it could work well.
#4. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Marlon Vera or Cory Sandhagen
One issue when it comes to finding a potential opponent for Deiveson Figueiredo’s bantamweight debut is the fact that most of the top fighters in the division are currently booked into fights.
One such fight, booked for next month, will pit the No.4-ranked Marlon Vera against the No.5-ranked Cory Sandhagen. The bout is set to headline a Fight Night event and, on paper, it sounds like an absolute barnburner.
Given that Figueiredo only fought last weekend, then, could he wait around and fight the winner of Vera vs. Sandhagen? It could be a logical step for the Brazilian.
After all, with both Henry Cejudo and Sean O’Malley sniffing around for a potential shot at current bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling, it’s unlikely that Vera or Sandhagen will get a crack at the gold even if they impress in a win.
Knocking off a former UFC champion like ‘The God of War’, though, would send a serious message to the promotion’s matchmakers. It would make it near impossible to deny them a title shot in the future.
For Figueiredo, meanwhile, a fight against one of the most highly ranked 135lbers in the UFC would act as a sign of him meaning business in his new weight class. If he could win, then he’d have an argument for taking a title shot in his own right.
This would be a very difficult fight for Figueiredo either way, but it could be an educated risk, too.
#3. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Petr Yan or Merab Dvalishvili
In a similar vein to the previous entry, Deiveson Figueiredo could also set his sights on facing the winner of the upcoming bout between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili, which is booked to go down in early March.
Yan and Dvalishvili are ranked even higher than Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Vera, with ‘No Mercy’ currently at No.2 and ‘The Machine’ one spot below him at No.3.
However, regardless of who wins the bout, it’s unlikely that they’ll be fighting for the bantamweight title in the near future, particularly if Aljamain Sterling still holds it.
Sterling has two previous wins over Yan, while Dvalishvili is his closest training partner and both men have stated they’d be unwilling to face off.
So the next best thing for the winner could be a fight with a former UFC champion like Figueiredo. From the perspective of ‘The God of War’, it’d be a huge opportunity.
If Figueiredo could knock off either Yan or Dvalishvili, it’d be near impossible to deny him his own shot at the bantamweight title.
Naturally, given the skills of Yan and Dvalishvili, this would be a massively tricky bout for the Brazilian, but it’d be worth taking if the offer were to come.
#2. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Sean O’Malley
It’s likely that Deiveson Figueiredo will expect a big fight for his debut at 135 pounds. Outside of an instant title shot, the biggest possible fight at bantamweight would probably come against Sean O’Malley.
Not only is ‘Sugar’ probably the biggest and most marketable star in the division right now, but he’s also coming off a huge win over former titleholder Petr Yan and is ranked at No.1.
Realistically, O’Malley should be fighting for the bantamweight title next, but due to the return of former champ Henry Cejudo, he’s going to have to wait his turn.
With that in mind, then, why not match him with Figueiredo in the interim? This clash would make sense for a number of reasons.
Firstly, while ‘The God of War’ isn’t a huge mainstream star, he has headlined multiple UFC events and is well-known for his reign as flyweight champion. Therefore, he’s a big enough name to face O’Malley.
Secondly, a clash between the Brazilian and ‘Sugar’ would almost certainly act as a top contender’s match, giving both men plenty of motivation.
Thirdly – and perhaps most importantly – it’d be a great clash of styles and could well produce a classic fight. Therefore, this bout is one that all parties would do well to pursue.
#1. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Dominick Cruz
While the majority of the UFC’s top bantamweights are currently booked into fights, one ranked fighter who isn’t is former titleholder Dominick Cruz.
‘The Dominator’ was last seen in August, when he suffered a head-kick knockout to Marlon Vera in the headline bout of UFC San Diego.
However, Cruz made sure to note that he didn’t plan to retire after the defeat. While he’s now 37 years old and past his prime, his reputation and star power mean that any win over him would be valuable.
Therefore, for a fighter moving up from 125 pounds, even a former titleholder like Deiveson Figueiredo, ‘The Dominator’ might be considered the perfect opponent.
He’s both dangerous and yet beatable, would be a viable headliner for a Fight Night event, and is a bonafide UFC legend. If Figueiredo could knock off a fighter who could still be considered the GOAT of 135 pounds, it’d be a huge feat.
Cruz, meanwhile, should only be looking for big fights at this point in his career. And while ‘The God of War’ hasn’t fought at bantamweight yet, he definitely has a big name and reputation thanks to his reign as flyweight king.
Essentially, this bout makes plenty of sense from all perspectives and would be well worth booking in the near future.
