Flyweight contender Deiveson Figueiredo will attempt to register back-to-back victories over rival Joseph Benavidez, and in the process capture the UFC flyweight title on “UFC Fight Island” on Saturday night.
Figueiredo (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) will take on Benavidez (28-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) for the vacant 125-pound strap at UFC on ESPN+ 30, which takes place Saturday at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The event will stream live on ESPN+.
Ahead of their flyweight title rematch, we take a look at four fights that have helped define Figueiredo’s MMA career to date.
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Jarred Brooks at UFC Fight Night 119 – Oct. 28, 2017
Figueiredo’s second fight in the UFC saw him take on Jarred Brooks in a battle of undefeated rising contenders at 125 pounds and, as you might have expected, the pair served up a tightly-contested battle that went all the way to the scorecards in Sao Paulo.
After three hard-fought rounds, Figueiredo got the nod via split decision, even though the first scorecard announced all three rounds to Brooks. At that point, Figueiredo was more than a little worried that he had lost the fight.
“It was a tough fight,” Figueiredo said after the fight. “I thought, by the end, that I’d lost. But I celebrated anyway.
“Yes, I was (nervous I had lost). But I think one day I’ll have to lose. If I’d lost, it’d be with honor because I fought to the end and didn’t give up. Thankfully, I got the win. Fortunately, he said I was going to come out crying, but he was the one who left crying.”
After that scare, Figueiredo held on to his unbeaten record and moved on to face more unbeaten opposition in his next fight, determined to leave no doubt over his victory.
Watch Jarred Brooks vs. Deiveson Figueiredo on UFC Fight Pass
Next up: Taking another fighter’s “0”