ABU DHABI – Deiveson Figueiredo’s has a two-fold plan as UFC champion.
After winning the vacant UFC flyweight championship at UFC on ESPN+ 30, Figueiredo (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) told reporters at the post-fight news conference about a pair of goals he’s set for his nascent title reign. Not only does Figueiredo want to defend his belt, but he also wants to become a two-weight world champion.
“Now that I have the belt, I have to train very hard,” Figueiredo said. “I’m the guy that everyone wants to beat, so I’m the guy everyone is looking at. I’m a guy who doesn’t give up ever, so I had to overcome all those hurdles to get here. It was something I had to do.
“I will accept a superfight if they want to give me one. I’ll move up to 135. I want to be a two-division champion but I’m going to defend this belt as well.”
In the past, Figueiredo has stated his interest in a fight with former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. However, Johnson is no longer with the promotion, so the fight won’t be an option unless “Mighty Mouse” returns to the UFC.
But if that ever happens, Figueiredo said he would welcome the matchup.
“That’s definitely a fight that all the fans would want to see – me against Demetrious Johnson,” Figueiredo said. “If the UFC wants to bring him back, I’m going to be very happy. I’m going to knock him out and with a lot of pride. I’m very happy to do that.”
Figueiredo earned UFC title gold Saturday in a rematch against multi-time UFC title challenger Joseph Benavidez. The fighters’ first meeting took place in February with Figueiredo knocking out Benavidez (28-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) in Round 2. However, Figueiredo missed weight for that fight and thus was ineligible to claim gold.
For UFC on ESPN+ 30, however, Figueiredo made weight and submitted Benavidez in Round 1, becoming the new UFC champ
The flyweight title bout was the main event at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It streamed on ESPN+
