“I deserve to fight for the championship next,” Deiveson Figueiredo shuts down matchup with Petr Yan after UFC 300

Deiveson Figueiredo declared at UFC 300 press conference that he does not want to fight Petr Yan.

“I deserve to fight for the championship next,” Deiveson Figueiredo shuts down matchup with Petr Yan after UFC 300

Deiveson Figueiredo vs Petr Yan shot down by former champion at UFC 300 (Image via Imago)

Deiveson Figueiredo wants the title fight next and has no interest in fighting Petr Yan. Figueiredo just won his fight at UFC 300 and is not willing to compromise his position or fight someone else as he waits for the title shot. He had an interesting reply when someone suggested a showdown in the octagon against Petr Yan.

A reporter asked Deiveson Figueiredo about his plans after beating Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300. He went on to ask the former champion if he was interested in a showdown against Yan to help him move up as he waits for a title shot. Figueiredo replied:

I’m a former champion in the other division. I’m coming up and winning in this division, and I want to fight for the championship. The fight against Moreno, there was a mistake in my view, so I think I deserve to fight for the championship next.

Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 300
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Figueiredo is new in the bantamweight division and he was able to put down Garbrandt in the second round itself. The Brazilian submitted Garbrandt with a rear naked choke in the second round of their UFC 300 bout.

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The mistake Figueiredo is talking about is his repeated encounter with Brandon Moreno in the octagon. Figueiredo has fought against Moreno four times in the flyweight division. Their last encounter at UFC 283 ended in a TKO loss for Figueiredo which cost him his flyweight title. It was after this very fight that Figueiredo made his bantamweight debut against Rob Font.

Who has Deiveson Figueiredo lost to in his MMA career?

Deiveson Figueiredo has won most of his fights and only ever lost thrice in his MMA career, twice to the same opponent. The 36-year-old former UFC champion has only tasted defeat at the hands of Jussier Formiga, and Brandon Moreno.

Deiveson Figueiredo
Deiveson Figueiredo (Via MMA Fighting)

Figueiredo lost to Formiga in 2017. They fought at UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum and their bout went the entire distance. The judges announced a unanimous decision in favor of Formiga which was also Figueiredo’s first-ever career loss.

Figueiredo shared an extensive history with his next opponent, Brandon Moreno. They faced off for the first time in 2020, in five rounds of an entertaining showdown that ended in a majority draw. Figueiredo was the flyweight champion at that time and he retained his title.

In their rematch the next year, Moreno walked away with the victory and the flyweight championship which he won after he submitted Figueiredo with a rear naked choke. However, Figueiredo came back with a unanimous decision win and reclaimed his title at UFC 270. Unfortunately, he lost it again at the UFC 283.

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