Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo respond after losing his belt to Brandon Moreno by third-round submission at UFC 263.
Deiveson Figueiredo entered the rematch with Moreno as the champion after they fought to a draw in a 2020 “Fight of the Year” candidate at UFC 256 last December. But after struggling on the scale to make weight on Friday, Figueiredo looked slow in the fight and wasn’t able to get anything going. On the other hand, Moreno looked fast and sharp and he put together the most complete performance of his MMA career to date when he finished Figueiredo in the third round with a rear-naked choke. It was an absolutely phenomenal performance by Moreno to steal Figueiredo’s title away from him, and now he’s the new champion.
Speaking to Evy Rodrigues of Combate following the loss to Moreno at UFC 263, Figueiredo said he had a tough weight cut and had a feeling that it wasn’t his day. He is now hoping he can get a trilogy fight with Moreno. Take a look at what “The God of War” said.
“It really was the weight cut. I didn’t have a healthy weight cut, it was really hard to beat the weight,” Deiveson Figueiredo said. “I left the hotel (for the arena) feeling very bad. I knew it wasn’t my day, but I gave it into God’s hands, and going to the Octagon I said, ‘Lord, your will be done.’ I got in there, I didn’t really fight like I am and I really want to immediately ask for a rematch with Dana (White), and I hope get it because I won the first fight and even so they took a point from me and they decided to tie for the second fight. And now I want the trilogy. He got my belt, the first one I won and we’re going to fight this third fight now to take the fight off.”
For Figueiredo, this was a tough loss for him after looking so good in the flyweight division up until this fight. Even in the draw with Moreno in their first fight, Figueiredo still had a good showing and arguably should have won even with a point deduction. After losing in the rematch, it’s possible the UFC could go with an immediate trilogy match considering how exciting the first two bouts between these two warriors have been. However, the promotion will likely go with someone else such as Askar Askarov for the title shot instead.