Former UFC flyweight king Demetrious Johnson thinks current 125-pound champion Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno shouldn’t fight for a fourth time next.
The two flyweight greats have gone to war several times in the past year and a half. They first met less than a month after Figueiredo’s first successful title defense. “God of War” beat Alex Perez via first-round submission at UFC 255 on November 21, 2020, and he stepped up to headline the next pay-per-view event against Moreno on December 12, 2020.
The fight was a back-and-forth clash and as history has it, it was ruled a draw after Figueiredo was deducted a point during the fight for a groin strike. In June 2021, they met for a second time to finish their business, and “The Assassin Baby” scored an upset, taking Figueiredo’s belt by third-round rear-naked choke.
The UFC decided that scheduling a trilogy match next between the two was the best way road to take, and they fought again in January at UFC 270. Like their first contest, the fight went all five rounds. But this time, the God of War edged the scorecards, winning back the 125-pound strap via unanimous decision.
And according to MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, sources have disclosed to him that the UFC is aiming to put on the fourth fight between Figueiredo and Moreno in July.
Figueiredo & Moreno Should Fight Someone Else, Johnson Said
But, Johnson doesn’t think the two combatants should sign on for the fight.
In a recent interview with Helwani on “The MMA Hour,” “Mighty Mouse” said it would be best for the two to focus on new opponents, like Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Kara-France, which in turn could help elevate their respective games.
“Why do a fourth fight? Why?” Johnson said via Bloody Elbow. “Fight Pantoja. Let Pantoja fight. Let Kai Kara-France fight. Fight somebody totally different. Go out there, get your mojo back if you feel like you need it. Get a fresh look in front of you.”
“Everybody’s always trying to chase this title. Don’t chase the title, the title will come if you’re worthy of it, if your path leads you to that. Don’t just try to run down a road and run in the same f****** roadblock.
“Fight somebody else, then maybe, you’ll find something else in the other fighters you go against. And then when you approach that roadblock again, you’re like, ‘Ah, I know how to do this time. It’s not the same thing I’ve been looking at for the past two to three years.’ Do something different.”
Mighty Mouse Said the 2 Fighters Won’t Get Pay-Per-View Points from the UFC, Urged Them to Fight Other Contenders
Typically when fighters headline a pay-per-view event or are a champion, they’ll receive a cut from the UFC for the number of pay-per-views purchased. But according to Mighty Mouse, the God of War and Assassin Baby wouldn’t see any extra money.
“Yes, it makes a lot of money sense for the UFC, and maybe for the athletes, too,” Johnson continued. “I know how the UFC contracts are structured, so whether Brandon Moreno fights Figueiredo or Kai Kara-France, I’m sure he’s probably gonna get the same pay.
“Them boys ain’t gonna get pay-per-view points. They never gave flyweights pay-per-view points. Don’t act like y’all getting 800,000 pay-per-view buys.
So, Mighty Mouse wants them to fight other contenders.
“You’re better off fighting Kai Kara-France or Pantoja,” he continued. “And then if you get that, boom. You get your show and your win, so you probably make $250K. Then, you might be in the escalator, so you fight another one.
“That’s another $250K, so you just made $500K. And now, you fight for a world title, then you get your $30K Reebok sponsorship.”
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UFC Legend Doesn’t Want to See Highly Anticipated 125-Pound Clash