Figueiredo Suggests Bantamweight Fight with Cejudo ‘So He Doesn't Make Any Excuses’

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After finishing 2020 with a five-round war against Brandon Moreno that turned out to be one of the year’s best bouts, flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo is completely focused on his brother Francisco Figueiredo’s debut at UFC on ESPN 20 next week.

“My brother is entering in the biggest promotion in the world to make history,” Deiveson said. “He is really tough. He is the one who pushes me to train more every day [even after a bad session at the gym]. I´m sure he will neutralize Jerome Rivera wherever this fight goes, on the feet or on the ground.”

Deiveson eventually envisions a scenario in which his brother’s success at flyweight will force him to move to the bantamweight division.

“After two or three fights I have no doubt he will be on the top,” Deiveson said. “So I don’t have to fight my brother, I’ll go up to the bantamweight division as I planned.”

Figueiredo is so confident that he will beat Moreno in their rematch, which is tentatively planned for May, that he is already engaged in a trash talk on social media against former double champion Henry Cejudo.

“I'm a wrestling killer. You can see what I did with all the wrestlers that crossed my way in the UFC,” Deiveson said. “My game is a nightmare for the ‘Pumpkin Head,’ and I´ll prove that by taking his head with me when I return to Belem.”

If that desired matchup comes to fruition, Deiveson won’t ask Cejudo to return to the flyweight division.

“I feel very strong in the 135-pound division, so I want to test myself against him so he doesn’t have any excuses,” he said.