There have been nine competitors in UFC history who have held championship gold in two weight classes, with the entire collective either already enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame or sure to join their contemporaries when they hang up their gloves.
Deiveson Figueiredo wants to be the 10th member of that illustrious UFC group and believes he can get one step closer to achieving that goal when he steps into the Octagon with Marlon “Chito” Vera on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
While Figueiredo clearly has things all mapped out, plans have a way of changing when there is someone else on the other side of the Octagon bent on making their own dreams come true while actively dashing yours, as well.
Vera, who fights for the first time since challenging Sean O’Malley for the divisional title earlier this year, has been that guy that ruins plans and forces changes throughout his career.
He was the first man O’Malley wanted to defend his title against after claiming the belt last August in Boston because the Orange County resident and native of Ecuador handed him the one and only loss of his career in their previous encounter, and that wasn’t the first time he threw a wrench (or heavy kick) into the works and jammed someone up.
On top of that, while the 31-year-old has suffered nine losses over the course of his career (eight of them in the UFC), Vera has never been stopped, never mind the fact that Saturday’s headliner between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov feels more likely to be the bantamweight showcase that produces the next title challenger out of this weekend’s divisional two-pack.
But don’t tell that to Figueiredo.
“I’m really focused on that,” he said of finishing Vera and vaulting ahead of the main event winner, whomever that should be, and into a championship opportunity. “That’s what I want to do, that’s what I’ve been training for, and I just need two rounds with Chito to knock him out; that’s all I need.
“I want to be the guy that gets a title shot with a knockout over him.”
Forecasts and hopeful thoughts for how the title chase shakes out aside, it’s difficult not to be impressed by what Figueiredo has done since relocating to the 135-pound weight class, especially given the fact that he’ll turn 37 later this year.
In his first start at bantamweight last December in Austin, the talented Brazilian dominated rankings mainstay Rob Font, warming into the fight on the feet and showcasing his grappling acumen by putting the New England Cartel representative on the deck in each frame. Back in April, he returned to the grappling well, grounding former bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt in the second round of their UFC 300 opener, forcing him to tap to a rear-naked choke.
There is no denying Figueiredo has looked sharp through his first two starts, with the Brazilian confident that he’s found his place in the division and the changes he’s made to his preparation will allow him to continue to enjoy tremendous success for several more years, much like another Brazilian that won gold late in his career.
If the belt wasn’t motivation enough — both this weekend and overall — Figueiredo need only look around his hotel room to draw from his primary source of inspiration and drive, as his wife and son have accompanied him on this business trip to Abu Dhabi.
“I worked so hard and have been working so hard for so many years,” began Figueiredo, emotion washing over his face and flooding his eyes when asked about what it means to be able to share these incredible experiences with his family. “In the beginning, I wasn’t able to have my kid there or my parents in the Octagon when I won the belt, so right now, I’m having them here with me.
Don't miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov, live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on August 3, 2024. Prelims start at 12pm ET/9am PT, while the main card kicks off live on ABC, ESPN & ESPN+ at 3pm ET/12pm PT.