Deiveson Figueiredo had made up his mind prior to his UFC Rio fight that he was going to shoot his shot for a title fight if he defeated Montel Jackson. That’s exactly what happened, although it was a narrow win for the former 2-time flyweight champion. Figueiredo earned a split-decision victory and then proceeded to call the champion, Merab Dvalishvili, out, and it did not go unnoticed.

The UFC Rio win was an emotional one for ‘Deus Da Guerra’, but he did not let that define his evening. “I wanna fight Merab,” he said to Michael Bisping during the post-fight interview. And guess what? Merab Dvalishvili was all ears on this one. The bantamweight, despite Deiveson Figueiredo‘s narrow win, congratulated him on his performance while also expressing the same level of excitement about the prospect of fighting the former 2-time champ.

“Congratulations [Deiveson Figueiredo] ! Great performance against a top opponent! I’m waiting for you,” ‘The Machine’ wrote on X. If we take a look at the possibility of these two fighting each other next, it will be a fresh matchup for the fans because every other fighter in the top five would be competing in a rematch against Merab Dvalishvili if they get paired up again. And freshness is what Deiveson Figueiredo wants to give the fans.

At 37 years old, most fighters fade into obscurity due to age, but Deiveson Figueiredo revived hopes for another title fight with this win in Rio de Janeiro. On the other hand, fans don’t seem too excited for a Figueiredo fight vs Dvalishvili. Why? That’s because his UFC Rio match did not please too many people.

The anticipation surrounding a potential Merab Dvalishvili vs Deiveson Figueiredo fight is low

Coming into the fight, Deiveson Figueiredo was on a 2-fight losing skid, which explains why this win was an emotional one for him. But does this win really prove anything? For fans, a split-decision win over an unranked Montel Jackson doesn’t really do any good for the Brazilian veteran, as they believe that Merab will have his way against the former 2-time flyweight champion.

Furthermore, the way Deiveson Figueiredo won his fight at Rio de Janeiro did not convince anyone that he’s the guy who deserves a title shot. They’ve even urged Dana White and Co. not to pair him up with Merab Dvalishvili because the Georgian has the skills to “maul” ‘Deus Da Guerra’. And while some fans weren’t opposed to watching this matchup, they had no doubt as to who they thought was going to win.

Well, Deiveson Figueiredo is a decorated fighter, and it may not come as a surprise if Dana White decides to give him a title shot. After all, Merab Dvalishvili needs all the opponents he can get since he’s not moving to another division anytime soon. But in all honesty, do you think Figueiredo will get his bantamweight title shot next, especially after somewhat of a lackluster outing? Let us know in the comments down below.