Ex-UFC Champion Set For December Fight In New Weight Class

This former UFC titleholder is finally making the move to a new division.

Drew Beaupré | Sep 22, 2023

Ex-UFC Champion Set For December Fight In New Weight Class /

A former flyweight king will make his debut in the UFC's bantamweight division when he meets Rob Font in December.

First reported by MMA Fighting, the matchup with Font will see Deiveson Figueiredo finally complete a long-rumored move up to bantamweight following his loss to Brandon Moreno at UFC 283.

“Deus Da Guerra” looked to have scrapped his plans to move up to 135 pounds when he was booked to meet top flyweight contender Manel Kape at UFC 290, but that fight ended up falling through when the Brazilian wasn’t medically cleared to compete.

Deiveson Figueiredo Brandon Moreno — (Jason Da Silva/USA TODAY Sports)

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Currently the UFC’s #7-ranked bantamweight contender, Font’s last outing ended in a unanimous decision loss to Cory Sandhagen after he stepped in to replace Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Nashville. The 36-year-old has only shared the Octagon with the UFC’s best bantamweights over the last few years, and he’ll provide a stiff test for Figueiredo’s debut in the weight class.

The matchup with Font will also mark the first time that Figueiredo has faced an opponent other than Moreno in nearly three years. Their epic four-fight series concluded in January with Moreno’s second win over the Brazilian, but “The Assassin Baby” ended up losing the flyweight belt in his next outing against Alexandre Pantoja.

Figueiredo’s bantamweight debut opposite Font is only the third bout that’s been confirmed for the UFC Fight Night on December 2, and although it hasn’t been given main event status yet few fans would probably complain if the two men ended up headlining the card.

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Published Sep 22, 2023