5 possible opponents for Deiveson Figueiredo if he moves up to bantamweight

Deiveson Figueiredo might be ready to move to 135lbs, but who should he face if he does?

UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo is clearly the top 125lber in the world right now, but suddenly, it looks like there’s a chance that he won’t be returning to the weight class.

Deiveson Figueiredo has suggested that due to the UFC introducing an interim flyweight title in his injury-based absence, he might move to 135 pounds. So, who could he face if he does so?

UFC champ Deiveson Figueiredo will consider leaving flyweight after being blindsided by an interim belt. 😡

Full story: bit.ly/3ajbkVJ https://t.co/dfCeom9V13

There’s no disputing that ‘God of War’ would be a fascinating fighter to add to an already stacked bantamweight roster. With that considered, there are plenty of options for him.

Here are five possible opponents for Deiveson Figueiredo if he moves to bantamweight.

#5. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Henry Cejudo

Henry Cejudo may have been on a collision course with 'The God of War' had he remained at flyweight

Okay, so it’s probably fair to suggest that if he does return to the UFC as he’s suggested, former bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo might prefer an instant title shot against reigning champ Aljamain Sterling rather than facing another opponent.

However, if the UFC decides to go ahead with booking Sterling against T.J. Dillashaw in his next defense, then a fight that might make more sense than fans might think would see Cejudo pitted against Deiveson Figueiredo.

After all, if ‘Triple C’ had decided to stick around at 125 pounds following his victory in early 2019 over Dillashaw, it’s highly likely that he would’ve been on a collision course with ‘God of War’ at some point down the line.

More importantly, Cejudo vs. Figueiredo sounds like a genuinely fantastic fight between two highly-aggressive fighters, pitting Cejudo’s world-class wrestling, cardio and pressure game against Figueiredo’s explosive striking and deadly arsenal of submissions.

Most stacked weight class in the UFC right now? Bantamweights, easy!

-Triple C (2-division champ)
-Aljo (won 7 straight)
-TJ (former champ)
-Aldo (former FTW champ)
-Cruz (former champ)
-Yan (former champ)

It ain't the lightweights @dc_mma

NEW EP!: youtu.be/g50cLutpZB4 https://t.co/0pS7ij1Wp1

Naturally, as he hasn’t fought since 2020, Cejudo is currently not ranked in the bantamweight division’s top 10, but if Figueiredo were to arrive in the weight class with a victory over a former champion who never lost his title, it’d be hard not to consider him a legitimate contender.

Cejudo, meanwhile, would still be able to proclaim himself the world’s best flyweight if he were to defeat the Brazilian, making the fight worth it for him, too. Overall, this a fight that would come out of left field, particularly as the two men have shown mutual respect before and have been training together at Fight Ready.

However, should they agree to the fight, it would definitely be worth watching.