Foul Figgy Buries Slow, Not-Dangerous Perez

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Maybe Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo is still upset that he lost his UFC 255 pay-per-view (PPV) main event against former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt and is taking out his frustrations on late-replacement Alex Perez.

Or maybe “Daico” is just a pompous prick with little regard for the 28 year-old flyweight, who captured three straight victories — including back-to-back finishes — to earn the open slot against Figueiredo on Nov. 21 at the promotion’s APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“They put Alex Perez in, and I don’t see many qualities in him,” Figueiredo told MMA Fighting. “Based on what I’ve seen, Alex Perez’s style favors me. He’s slow, I see no danger in him. I see more qualities in Brandon Moreno than in (Perez), but I’m playing by God’s will. Since they put him in, I’ll train to knock him out. I always train to knock my opponents out.”

Perez (24-5), who cut his teeth on Season 1 of Dana White’s “Contender Series,” was originally booked to face Brandon Moreno at UFC 255 before getting the call to step in for Garbandt. “No Love” tore his bicep and will be out of action until early next year.

The weight-challenged Figueiredo (19-1) captured the vacant 125-pound strap with a devastating finish over longtime veteran Joseph Benavidez last summer on “Fight Island” and has looked nearly invincible over the last couple of years.

The champ is currently a -300 favorite.