Was Deiveson Figueiredo a hair stylist? A look at 'Deus da Guerra's' various pre-UFC careers
The Deiveson Figueiredo hair stylist rumors have been propagated for years since his initial championship ascension in the UFC. But was the ex-flyweight ever a hairdresser? As it turns out, the Brazilian dynamo has one of the wilder backgrounds of anyone on the UFC roster.
Born in Soure, Pará, Brazil, 'Deus da Guerra' comes from a family of fighters. His father worked as a bull herder, who partook in a style of Brazilian folk-wreslting known as luta marajoara. As a child, he worked as a herder alongside his father on a farm, where he became acquainted with water buffalos.
Check out Deiveson Figueiredo riding his pet water buffalo, Ferdinand:
His affinity for the animal would heighten to such a point that he would go on to purchase a water buffalo of his own once he reached adulthood, naming it Ferdinand. However, as far as his career went, he eventually left herding to become a bricklayer at 19 years old.
He worked weekdays before finding a second job on the weekends. He worked as a security guard at small clubs, where he would immobilize unruly partygoers and facilitate their removal from the premises by his colleagues. This, however, did not last long, as Figueiredo subsequently became a fisherman at 22.
Unfortunately, his boat was small, and the dangers of fishing in the open sea convinced him to pursue a different path. He did, taking his expertise with fish to become a sushi chef, training under someone he had met at a gym he frequented.
During the infancy of his UFC run, he even used his first paychecks to fund his own sushi business. However, that didn't last long. Afterward, the future flyweight champion became a hairdresser, initially starting off as an assistant, where he learned the trade.
His skills, though, were lacking, leading to several mishaps. Finally, before signing with the UFC, Figueiredo worked as a motorcycle taxi driver, completing his run of odd jobs, some of which had nothing to do with the other.
Deiveson Figueiredo is just as eclectic in MMA
When he became an MMA fighter, Deiveson Figueiredo welcomed the chaos that had become his calling card. He couldn't be forced into a box. He is a wrestler but also a submission specialist with elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills. Moreover, he is also a dangerous striker with crushing knockout power.
He has also fought across different divisions, having previously conquered flyweight. His sights are now set on bantamweight, where he is currently 2-0.