“He’s missed weight a few times, so I think he’s just an oversized bantamweight who used to bully flyweights,” Cody Garbrandt said in an interview with Kevin Iole last year ahead of his bout against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 300. Like many fans, ‘No Love’ wasn’t impressed by the former flyweight champion being much bigger than other 125ers. In the past, the Brazilian has struggled with weight cuts, even missing by 2.5 pounds against Joseph Benavidez at UFC Fight Night 169. However, at UFC Rio, that perception slightly changed. 

In the UFC Rio co-main event, ‘Deus da Guerra’ secured a solid victory over the towering Montel Jackson. Although the fight wasn’t a barnburner, fans inside the Farmasi Arena were thrilled to see one of their legendary champions get his hand raised. Figueiredo returned to the win column after two consecutive losses. Proving he still belongs among the top contenders at bantamweight. With this performance, the Brazilian legend also silenced critics who accused him of being a weight bully. 

Deiveson Figueiredo silences “Weight Bully” critics after UFC Rio victory  

On social media platform X, an account named Omni-Man’s MMA Burner wrote, “People accused Figueiredo of being a weight bully his entire career, so he moved up a weight class and beat the biggest guy in the division years after his athletic prime ended. Like it or not, he’s one of the greats.”

Size advantage has always been a hot topic in MMA, often seen as an unhealthy way to win fights. That’s why Figueiredo often faced backlash from fans. However, on the flip side, the Brazilian endured tough challenges from Brandon Moreno despite being the bigger man. This actually raises a question: should size and physical stature be the only parameters to judge who wins a fight, or does skill play the bigger role here?

Because, in terms of sheer size, Montel Jackson towers over Figueiredo. For the unversed, ‘Quick’ boasts a 75.5-inch reach—longer than Sean O’Malley’s 72 and Cory Sandhagen’s 70, which makes him one of the biggest bantamweights, if not the biggest. So, for ‘Figgy’ to win the bout with a 5’5″ frame and 68-inch reach is truly impressive and should finally silence the weight bully claims.

Now, after earning a solid win over a surging bantamweight contender, Deiveson Figueiredo believes it’s time to chase the gold. When handed the mic, the Brazilian former champion didn’t waste a single moment and immediately called out the division’s dominant champion, Merab Dvalishvili, for a future showdown. 

‘Deus da Guerra’ calls out Merab Dvalishvili for a bantamweight title fight   

“You know, I wanna fight Merab. Obviously, I fought this guy who is a highly ranked opponent. But I wanna fight Merab,” Deiveson Figueiredo said during his Octagon interview, revealing that his desire to face Merab Dvalishvili for the title is still alive. Even though ‘Figgy’ recently suffered two losses, against Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen, the Brazilian definitely deserves credit for his performance. However, the path ahead won’t be easy. 

It’s because the former flyweight champ just stopped the division’s 15th-ranked fighter from taking his spot. And he knows the road ahead is tough, as he said in his Octagon interview, “I still have to work hard to get there.” So, Figueiredo admitted that facing Merab Dvalishvili might not be his next fight. That didn’t stop the reigning bantamweight champion from recognizing his effort.

On X, ‘The Machine’ wrote, “Congratulations @DDeusdaguerra! Great performance against a top opponent! I’m wainting for you.” Well, after dominating Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320,   Merab would be looking for a credible next opponent. And who knows? Maybe someday we’ll see the dream superfight between the former 125 lbs champ and the current 135 lbs king in the future.

That said, do you think Deiveson Figueiredo delivered a solid performance at UFC Rio, or was it subpar? Let us know in the comments below!