RIO DE JANEIRO – According to UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, the biggest change in three-time opponent Brandon Moreno over the span of their trilogy-going-on-tetralogy is fear level.
“I’m Brandon’s nightmare,” Figueiredo told reporters including MMA Junkie at a UFC 283 pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “Unfortunately, this is the only fight the UFC has to sell: Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno. … I think the biggest difference is his fear of me. He can’t stand me and I think that’s what makes the biggest difference.”
The lifetime series between Figueiredo (21-2-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC) and Moreno (20-6-2 MMA, 8-3-2 UFC) is all even at 1-1-1. The two fighters drew the first time out. Moreno won the rematch by submission. Then, Figueiredo defeated Moreno via unanimous decision. During this time, both men’s popularity increased, but in particular Moreno, who became the first Mexican champion in promotion history. Large crowds of Mexican fans made sure to attend and make their presence known in the most recent two head-to-head matchups, which took place in Glendale, Ariz. and Anaheim, Calif..
This time, however, Figueiredo will fight on home turf for the first time since February 2018, when he fought John Moraga.
“I fought Brandon three times already,” Figueiredo said. “In his last two fights, I feel like it was 85 percent Mexicans. Now he’s fighting in Brazil. The whole crowd is going to be behind me. So it’s going to be a lot different. The whole nation of Brazil is going to be supporting me.”
“… I make exciting fights. I make thrilling fights. Having the Brazilian people, I’m going to be able to see the joy in their faces being there. I’m going in there to win. I’m going in there to give a show. I’m really going in there to give a show to everyone, all the Brazilians that are going to be there.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.
UFC 283’s Deiveson Figueiredo: Brandon Moreno’s ‘fear of me’ has grown with each fight