Deiveson Figueiredo may not be completely done with the flyweight division just yet.
Speaking at media day head of his co-main event fight against Payton Talbott at UFC 332 this weekend, the former 125-pound titleholder revealed that he could be tempted into moving back down from his new home in the bantamweight division, were the UFC to offer him the chance to face current flyweight king Joshua Van.
“Well, I've been asking the UFC and telling them I will make that weight very easy,” Figueiredo said. “I've been asking them to say, just make that fight, I want that opportunity. And let's see if his boxing is as good as mine.”
“It needs to happen. If he gives me an opportunity, I go out there and knock him out.”
Van successfully defended his title last month by beating Alexandre Pantoja in a Fight of the Year contender at UFC 331., his third consecutive title fight victory.
Figueiredo, who held the flyweight belt over two separate spells before making the move up to 135 pounds in 2023, feels that he would provide a difficult stylistic matchup for Van.
“You know, everybody wants to exchange with him,” the Brazilian said. “And he's a striker, and I'm a striker and a grappler. So, believe me, if he wants to strike with me, in front of me, the effect won't be the same. And he will not want to exchange with me. Pantoja is an amazing fighter, but I think that the game plan was wrong because he was trying to push the striking in this fight. Why not use more grappling in this fight with the excellent jiu-jitsu he's got?”
