Deiveson Figueiredo’s Flyweight Fire
On October 3, 2026, Deiveson Figueiredo lost to Payton Talbott by first-round stoppage at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City. The result added another difficult chapter to the former flyweight champion’s bantamweight career, but his legacy still rests on two championship reigns and an extraordinary four-fight rivalry with Brandon Moreno.
Power and submissions at flyweight
Figueiredo arrived in the UFC in 2017 from Soure, Brazil. At flyweight he combined explosive boxing with dangerous guillotine and rear-naked-choke attacks, earning a title opportunity against Joseph Benavidez. He won the belt with a first-round submission in July 2020.
A historic rivalry with Brandon Moreno
Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno fought four title bouts between 2020 and 2023. Their first contest ended in a draw; Moreno won the rematch, Figueiredo regained the belt in the third fight, and Moreno took it back by doctor stoppage in their fourth meeting. Figueiredo’s two reigns made him one of the defining flyweights of his era.
He moved to bantamweight in 2023 and added wins over Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt and Marlon Vera before facing Petr Yan in 2024. The move brought a new challenge: opponents at 135 pounds are larger, while Figueiredo’s timing and submission threats remain his core advantages.
How the championship changed hands
The details of the Moreno series explain why it became such an important part of flyweight history. Their opening fight at UFC 256 ended in a majority draw, leaving Figueiredo with the belt. Moreno then submitted him with a third-round rear-naked choke at UFC 263. Figueiredo responded by winning a five-round unanimous decision at UFC 270 on January 22, 2022, reclaiming the championship rather than simply receiving another opportunity.
Moreno won their final meeting at UFC 283 after the doctor stopped the contest following the third round. Across four meetings, neither man swept the rivalry: Moreno finished with two victories, Figueiredo with one, and their opening encounter remained a draw. The sequence made their contrasting styles a recurring championship test. Figueiredo’s power and submission danger consistently forced opponents to respect both the standing exchanges and the ground game.
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Article Tags
Deiveson Figueiredo, Brandon Moreno, Joseph Benavidez, Payton Talbott, UFC, Flyweight, Bantamweight
