‘I Want To Live A Bit Of What I Haven’t Yet’

Deiveson Figueiredo doesn’t plan to fight for much longer.

The former two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight champion, Figueiredo, is making a career change in his next time out. “Deus Da Guerra” has fought the entirety of his 25-fight career (21-3-1) at 125 pounds, but makes the leap to Bantamweight against Rob Font at the upcoming UFC Fight Night on Dec. 2, 2023.

Brazil’s Figueiredo, 35, revealed recently when speaking to MMA Fighting that he won’t be competing into his 40s.

“I have three more years ahead of me before retiring,” Figueiredo said. “In the name of Jesus, I want to always, always, always put on great fights for the audience for as long as I’m in action, you can be sure of that.

“I want to live a bit of what I haven’t yet,” he continued. “I’m a kid that have always worked since I got involved with MMA. I wasn’t born in a wealthy family, you know? I was born in Soure, Marajo, and was raised in a farm. My father was a cowherd and always worked in a farm, and one day he realized that he was hurting us, so he took us to the city to study. I’ve studied until I was 18 but always went back to the farm to help my father and take care of animals until I found out about MMA.

“Thank God I’ve achieved a lot through MMA,” Figueiredo concluded. “Look where I am now, in the United States. A kid that left Marajo, a simple town and the farm, and is in the United States now, fighting in the world’s biggest organization, giving my best to MMA fans and changing my family’s story through fighting. And thank God I can help support my family now.”

A match up with former Bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz, was originally rumored to be Figueiredo’s first in the weight class. According to Figueiredo, Cruz is unfortunately dealing with an injury that prevented the bout from taking place. He hopes after a win over Font that he can still test himself against “The Dominator,” leading to a title shot.