Deiveson Figueiredo Demands Flyweight Return and Title Shot Against Joshua Van
Former two-time flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo says he will move back to 125 and knock out Joshua Van.
Deiveson Figueiredo has not even fought Payton Talbott yet, and he is already looking past Saturday night. The former two-time UFC flyweight champion told media this week that he wants to drop back to 125 pounds and challenge current champion Joshua Van for the belt he once held.
"Let us see if his boxing is as good as mine," Figueiredo said of Van, per LowKick MMA. "I will make that weight very easy."
Figueiredo, 38, faces Talbott in the co-main event of UFC 332 this Saturday inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The bout is at bantamweight, but Figueiredo insists the flyweight move is happening regardless of the result. He told reporters he has already asked the UFC for the opportunity and is "200 percent" committed to the cut.
The timing lines up. Van won the flyweight title from Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331 earlier this month, and the division is wide open for a top contender. Figueiredo took a shot at Pantoja as well, suggesting his former rival made a mistake by trying to outstrike Van instead of grappling him.
"If the UFC gives me the opportunity, I go out there and knock him out," Figueiredo said.
Figueiredo held the flyweight belt twice between 2020 and 2023 before moving up to bantamweight. His run at 135 has been uneven, but a return to the weight class where he was most dominant could shake up the division in a big way.
I love this from Figueiredo. The man is 38 years old and still believes he can go down to 125, outbox one of the best young fighters on the planet, and reclaim a title he lost three years ago. That is either supreme confidence or delusion, and with Figueiredo it has always been both.
Here is the thing, though. If he gets past Talbott on Saturday and the weight cut does not wreck him, this fight is genuinely interesting. Van looked incredible against Pantoja, but Figueiredo hits different than anyone Van has faced. Heavier hands, nastier in the clinch, and zero respect for the new champ.
The UFC should make it if Figueiredo wins. Van needs a credible first defense, and a former two-time champ coming back down with a chip on his shoulder is as good a story as the flyweight division has right now.
