Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno verbally agree to fight for UFC flyweight title at UFC 256

UFC Fight Night: Figueredo v Benavidez 2
UFC Fight Night: Figueredo v Benavidez 2

Deiveson Figueiredo needed less than two minutes to finish Alex Perez to retain his UFC flyweight crown at UFC 255.

Deiveson Figueiredo showed his abundant skillset when he caught Perez in a tight Guillotine choke early in the first round after a swift scramble to subsequently end the fight. It was his first successful defense of the UFC flyweight championship.

In his post-fight interview, Figueiredo called out Brandon Moreno and wanted the Mexican flyweight contender to be his second title challenger.

Moreno, it seems, has accepted the challenge and the fight has been verbally agreed upon.

Earlier in the card, Moreno had defeated Brandon Royval after the latter suffered an injury. Moreno was dominant throughout the first round, and while Royval did suffer a shoulder injury, Moreno was easily winning the fight.

In just 21 days, Figueiredo and Moreno will be heading back into action.

Deiveson Figueiredo captured the flyweight title after beating veteran Joseph Benavidez in a rematch back in July. Figueiredo had previously stopped Benavidez in February, but a failed weight cut made him ineligible to win the vacant flyweight title back then.

With the flyweight title win, Figueiredo became the second active Brazilian UFC champion alongside two-division titleholder Amanda Nunes.

It was a promise fulfilled for Deiveson Figueiredo, who promised his grandfather that he would indeed become a UFC champion.

Deiveson Figueiredo it seems is the new king of the flyweights, a division once ruled by Demetrious Johnson.

By the looks of things, Deiveson Figueiredo is poised to rule over the flyweight division for a long time.

Deiveson Figueiredo was originally scheduled to fight former UFC Bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt

Deiveson Figueiredo was originally scheduled to take on former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt in his first title defense.

Garbrandt is coming off the back of an impressive knockout against Raphael Assuncao back in June. Before the last-second knockout win, however, Garbrandt was riding a three-fight losing streak.

The former 135-pound champion has since expressed interest in moving down and competing at flyweight.

UFC President Dana White granted him his wish and he was given a title shot against Deiveson Figueiredo, the division's reigning champion

A bicep injury forced Garbrandt out of the title opportunity however, and UFC 255 was left without the main event.

Alex Perez, a Dana White's Contender Series alumnus stepped in as a replacement, but was easily dispatched by Figueiredo in their title bout.

Quick Links