Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo says he has his sights set on entering the UFC Hall of Fame when his MMA career is over.
Figueiredo takes on Song Yadong in the main event of this Saturday’s UFC Macau event. For the 38-year-old Brazilian, it’s an opportunity to break into the top-five rankings at bantamweight. Currently, “Deus da Guerra” is ranked at No. 7, while Song is ranked at No. 5. So this is a huge fight for him to get one step closer to the elite of the 135 lbs weight class, and he hopes, a title shot.
Deiveson Figueiredo Has Sights Set on UFC Hall of Fame
Speaking to the UFC in a pre-fight interview ahead of his fight against Song on Saturday at UFC Macau, Figueiredo was asked what his motivations are at this point in his MMA career.
“The accomplishments are what motivate me. I’ve always said, I want to finish my career in the UFC, I want to retire in the UFC, I want to be in the Hall of Fame. I want to have my name written in the history books of the UFC. The accomplishments are really what drive me forward. I want to fight for the belt, and we’re getting one step closer at a time, but we’re not going to give up,” Figueiredo said through an interpreter.
To that end, Figueiredo believes that an impressive win over Song this weekend could catapult him one step closer to fighting for the belt in the stacked UFC bantamweight division.
“A good win on Saturday is definitely going to get me closer to the title. Song has a big name, who knows, maybe it takes me directly to the title. I could see myself winning on Saturday and the UFC giving me one more fight, or who knows, maybe even getting me straight to the belt,” Figueiredo said.
Deiveson Figueiredo (@Daico_Deiveson) believes the best is yet to come at bantamweight as he nears his main event with Song Yadong at #UFCMacau.
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Deiveson Figueiredo a Massive Underdog at UFC Macau
According to the latest betting odds, Figueiredo is a gigantic +400 betting underdog against Song, who is a -550 to win. Clearly, the betting public isn’t giving Figueiredo much of a chance to win in this fight, even though he is a former UFC champion.
Given that Song is a full decade younger, fighting at home, and should be the more dangerous fighter at this point in their careers, it makes sense that he is the favorite to win. But Figueiredo is as durable as it gets, he has a ton of five-round experience, and he’s highly motivated to prove he still has plenty of gas left in the tank as he hopes to win a UFC title in a second weight class. So, you can’t completely count him out of winning this fight, although the odds are certainly stacked against him.
The UFC Macau headliner should be an exciting main event between two of the best in the world at 135 lbs, and in a stacked weight class with tons of contenders, this is a pivotal matchup for both Song and Figueiredo to prove they are still at the top of the food chain.
Deiveson Figueiredo Has Sights Set on UFC Hall of Fame