Former two-time flyweight champion says he can make 125 pounds easily; must first end two-fight skid against Talbot on Saturday

Former UFC flyweight champion and current bantamweight fighter Deiveson Figueiredo. [Getty Images]
Former UFC flyweight champion and current bantamweight fighter Deiveson Figueiredo. [Getty Images]

Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo (38, Brazil) has said he wants to drop back down in weight and fight current flyweight champion Joshua Van (Myanmar).

Figueiredo made the remarks at the UFC 332 media day in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday (Korean Standard Time), where he discussed the possibility of returning to flyweight and a potential showdown with Van.

"I keep asking the UFC. I've been saying I can make that weight easily," Figueiredo said. "I'm asking them to make that fight happen. I want the opportunity. Let's see if his boxing is as good as mine."

Asked whether he would be willing to cut back down to the flyweight limit of 125 pounds to fight Van, he said "200 percent." "That fight has to happen. If the UFC gives me the chance, I'll go out there and knock him out," he said.

Figueiredo is a two-time UFC flyweight champion. He moved up to bantamweight in 2023 and has not competed at flyweight in nearly four years.

First, though, he has a more immediate obstacle. Currently ranked No. 9 in the UFC bantamweight division, Figueiredo faces No. 11 Payton Talbot (United States) in the co-main event of UFC 332 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday. The UFC officially announced the matchup on Sept. 11.

Figueiredo is on a two-fight losing streak, having fallen to Song Yadong and Umar Nurmagomedov in succession. Getting past Talbot and reversing that slide is the immediate priority if a title shot against Van is to become a reality.

At the same media day, Figueiredo also compared his style to Van's. He described Van as a striker, while noting that he himself brings both striking and grappling to the table.

He also pointed to Alexandre Pantoja's recent loss to Van. Figueiredo praised Pantoja as a skilled fighter but said it was the wrong strategy for someone with strong jiu-jitsu to insist on a striking battle against Van — and that he would approach the fight differently.

Whether the two-time flyweight king can rebound at bantamweight and then drop back to 125 pounds for a shot at a third title reign remains to be seen.


yjc@heraldcorp.com