Figueiredo’s Comeback: Title Shot or Stepping Stone for ‘Quik’?
Deiveson Figueiredo was one of the most dominant flyweight fighters we have ever seen. At 125 pounds, his power was unworldly, and his skill set was so well-rounded that it was tough to ever see him losing. However, he ran into a hungry Mexican superstar in Brandon Moreno, and their four fights will go down in history. After losing again to Moreno, he decided to make the move up to 135 and has been close to getting a title shot. Unfortunately, in his last attempt against Cory Sandhagen, he suffered a knee injury that resulted in him getting his second loss in a row. He returns to the Octagon for UFC Brazil against a dangerous fighter in Montel Jackson, who is riding a six-fight winning streak. Can the ‘God of War’ get himself back in the win column, or will Jackson send him into retirement?
People seem to forget sometimes just how good Figueiredo is and was. The current Flyweight Champion, Alexander Pantoja, looks unbeatable, and when they fought each other in 2019, it was one of the most one-sided beatings we have seen. Figgy has exceptional power and grappling ability. He can mix up his strikes extremely well and his targets. His only knock in his career has been his cardio, but this being a three-round fight means he can go hard from the jump. Jackson is a sniper, but he hasn’t fought anyone with the caliber and experience of Figgy. We have seen these matchups time and again where the UFC feeds these former champions to guys on a streak to make a name off them, but they are turned back in dominant fashion. I can see in front of his home crowd, Figgy putting on a striking display and perhaps getting a big-time knockout victory.
Montel Jackson has slowly worked his way into this opportunity, but he outclasses most of his opponents he has faced on the feet. He is lightning quick and precise, and has good striking defense as well. He will need to be aware of Figgy’s power and his grappling ability because if he’s taking down, he could fall behind and have to catch up, which is never a good sign against someone with the power that Figgy possesses. He will need to fight at a range and use his weapons to pick Figgy apart on the outside and aggravate him into making a mistake. He’s the younger fighter and has all the momentum, so we will see if Figgy's knee is 100% and how much that will hinder his movement and his lateral mobility. He is fighting Figgy at the perfect time and could propel himself up this rugged division.
This co-main event is going to be non-stop action with two fighters who have the capability of finishing the fight at any moment. Whoever wins this fight is going to have to earn it, and with the crowd being fully behind Figueiredo, anything he does will draw a huge ovation. We will see if Jackson is ready for the moment and to be the villain in a whole other country. It takes a certain mental determination to pull it off. Whichever way this fight goes, you're not going to want to miss it and all the other exciting action for UFC Brazil on October 11th.
