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Dana White recently announced a monster International Fight Week card that featured a number of current and former champions, with Deiveson Figueiredo being one of them. Despite being pitted against Manel Kape by the UFC president, the Brazilian has once again insisted that he isn't medically cleared to compete.
The two-time flyweight king hasn't fought anybody not named Brandon Moreno for almost three years, having completed a 'quadrilogy' with his octagon rival. After losing his title last time out, the South American announced his interest in moving up to the bantamweight division for the foreseeable future.
Following Dana White's announcement on social media, an MMA journalist revealed that Deiveson Figueiredo won't in fact compete on the star-studded UFC 290 card and will instead wait for clearance from the medical team.
"The Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Manel Kape fight is still off despite Dana White's UFC 290 announcement today, Figueiredo confirmed to me. Like Figueiredo told me last week, he's not cleared by the doctors at the moment."
While his imminent future in the sport is surrounded by uncertainty, the 35-year-old has a number of options to choose from if he eventually does make a comeback to the octagon.
Since his absence, multiple 135ers have publicly stated their interest in welcoming him to the bantamweight division. Those linked to a potential fight against the powerhouse are former champion Petr Yan, dangerous striker Rob Font, and the legendary Dominick Cruz, though nothing has been made official as of yet.
With Deiveson Figueiredo's return date unknown, who has Manel Kape been rumored to fight?
Since his fight against Figueiredo fell through weeks ago, Manel Kape has been embroiled in a social media war with undefeated, well-rounded star Muhammad Mokaev.
The two have been exchanging blows on Twitter and it seems one party is much more interested in the bout than the other. 'The Punisher' has been screaming out for a top-ranked opponent as he aims to become the youngest-ever UFC champion, but his unbeaten run has been filled with lesser-ranked talent.
Mokaev could force his way into the top 10 at flyweight with a win over #9-ranked Manel Kape, and Kape would also benefit from getting his hand raised. Not only would he be beating a ranked opponent, but 'Starboy' would bring an end to the hype surrounding the UK representative if he wins their hypothetical matchup.
