Deus da Guerra: What does Deiveson Figueiredo's nickname mean and what does it have to do with Kratos?
Deiveson Figueiredo took the MMA by quite the storm during his rise in the flyweight division. He became a two-time UFC flyweight champion and along with Brandon Moreno, put the flyweight division on the must-watch list of UFC fans.
One of the questions that fans often have about the former flyweight champion is the meaning behind his nickname as well as the significance of the red streak across his head.
Let's find out.
Deus da Guerra: What does it mean?
Deiveson Figueiredo uses the nickname 'Deus de Guerra', which has a significant meaning in Portuguese.
'Deus' stands for 'God, 'da' means 'gives', and 'Guerra' translates to 'war' in English. Combined, 'Deus da Guerra' is Portuguese for 'the god who gives war' or 'God of War' in short.
The nickname is likely a homage to the Greek demigod Kratos from the God of War video game series by Santa Monica Studio.
The red streak across Deiveson Figueiredo's head is also similar to the one Kratos has on the game, except the demigod's comes down across his eyes and face as well - but that might have been a bit too much for the former flyweight champion.
Deiveson Figueiredo in UFC
After winning the title against Joseph Benavidez in 2020, Deiveson Figueiredo went on to defend the belt against Alex Perez via Guillotine Choke submission. Figueiredo was then entangled in a tetralogy with Brandon Moreno.
The rivalry between these two fighters went on to become one of the most exciting chapters in the division's history. The first fight between the two men ended in a majority draw after the officials took a point away from Figueiredo for an illegal strike.
Moreno went on to win the UFC 263 rematch via a third-round submission and looked primed to rule the division in the foreseeable future. However, 'Deus Da Guerra' was far from done and recaptured the belt after an absolute barn burner of a trilogy fight at UFC 270. He became the first two-time champion in UFC flyweight history with this win.
In the end, it was Moreno who got the upper hand, finishing the tetralogy with a 2-1-1 record against the Brazilian fighter when he stopped Figueiredo at UFC 283.
Figueiredo, who was always known for cutting unhealthy amounts of weight to make the flyweight limit, has now decided to move up in weight. He will make the bantamweight debut against Rob Font at the UFC Austin event on December 2, 2023.