"I'm super upset about it" - Deiveson Figueiredo feels mistreated by UFC, compares his situation to Francis Ngannou
Deiveson Figueiredo recently expressed his displeasure with the booking of the upcoming interim championship fight between Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France. 'Dues da Guerra' compared himself to UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou, who was stuck in a similar spot last year when an interim title was contested just four months removed from his championship win.
According to Figueiredo, he initially did not believe the fight could actually come to fruition. While the Brazilian dismissed the interim title as a joke, he will be watching the clash between his arch-rival Moreno and the surging Kara-France.
In an interview with AgFight, the UFC flyweight champion said:
"Exactly man. It comes close to that. I'm a very calm guy. But I confess, I'm super upset about it. I didn't expect this. I didn't even believe it. I thought, it's just the media or something, this belt won't happen. But they really confirmed it right?! A fake belt over there. To deceive Kai Kara-France with Brandon Moreno. And, the champ, man... The champ is Deiveson. Deiveson from Brazil. Figueiredo. The belt owner. I'll be there to watch this joke between them." [Translated via Brazilian MMA legends]
Watch the clip below:
Deiveson Figueiredo is currently nursing a finger injury and is eyeing a return to the octagon by the end of the year. Feeling betrayed by the UFC, 'Dues da Guerra' is even contemplating a move up to bantamweight. The Brazilian will however wait till the interim title fight, scheduled for UFC 277, before deciding on his next move.
Deiveson Figueiredo claims he and Henry Cejudo saved the UFC's flyweight division
Deiveson Figueiredo reclaimed his title with a 'Fight of the Night' unanimous decision victory over Brandon Moreno in their title trilogy at UFC 270 in January. While 'Dues da Guerra' retained his title in their first fight via a majority draw, he suffered a third-round submission loss in the rematch.
In the lead-up to his third outing against Moreno, Figueiredo trained with Henry Cejudo, a former teammate-turned-rival to 'The Assassin Baby'. In the same interview with AgFight, he claimed that the UFC's flyweight division was saved by himself and Cejudo, the former 125-pound titleholder.
"I am very disappointed. I confess to you that I seriously think about leaving the category. Who saved this division was me, Henry Cejudo, and with this one from the UFC, I'm honestly about to make decisions. I hope I don't take them, but if I do, I'll leave the division and go up to 61 kg.” [Translated via Google Translate]
Watch the full interview below: