At UFC 256, Deiveson Figueiredo once again walked away with his flyweight title around his waist… but he didn’t pick up the victory against Brandon Moreno.
Brazil’s “Deus de Garra” made history with the quickest turnaround in UFC history for a champion. Headlining UFC 255 in November defending his title for the first time, Figueiredo defeated Alex Perez via first-round guillotine. Three weeks later, he attempted to do so once again.
On that same night at UFC 255, Mexico’s Moreno earned himself a title shot and was willing to tango with the champ on short notice. As an end result, the two put on arguably the greatest flyweight fight of all-time and a 2020 fight of the year contender.
Dramatically enough, neither man would come out on top as the judges scored the bout a draw. Having had time to reflect on and watch the fight since then, the champion doesn’t agree with the decision and will gladly run things back.
“Analyzing every round, I won all rounds,” Deiveson Figueiredo said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “Unfortunately, I don’t know what happened for them not to give me the [win]. There was that point deduction, but even with a draw in that round, I still won all rounds. Now I’ll go back for this rematch and break Moreno so there is no doubt anymore.
“I want this rematch so it leaves no doubt. I want to be well and show my work. That guy that fought Moreno, that wasn’t me. He can be sure of that. I’ll train hard for him now and it will be a completely different fight.”
Despite the draw and missing of weight for his first crack at the title in February, many still have Deiveson Figueiredo as the possible fighter of the year. And whether or not he earns that label at any award shows, he’s definitely become a must-see fighter going forward. If all goes how it appears it will considering every party’s interest, a Moreno rematch will be the next fight for both.
“I want this rematch so it leaves no doubt,” Figueiredo said. “I want to be well and show my work. That guy that fought Moreno, that wasn’t me. He can be sure of that. I’ll train hard for him now and it will be a completely different fight.”
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 12/21/2020.