Deiveson Figueiredo, the former UFC flyweight champion, plans to knock out Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300, claiming that Garbrandt is not mentally strong enough to handle in-cage adversity.
Cody Garbrandt? Yeah, he’s been KO’d four times in four years, from 2017 to 2021. That’s a 1-5 run in the UFC. Deiveson Figueiredo? He’s got his sights set on adding to that tally at UFC 300.
Figueiredo, ex-UFC flyweight champ, made a successful bantamweight debut against Rob Font last December. He had a few things to say on MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast. His take on Garbrandt? Not mentally tough enough to handle in-ring adversity.
“We see he’s mentally fragile,” Figueiredo said of his April 13 opponent. “He doesn’t have a good head. We see he hasn’t come back after having a few losses, right?”
Garbrandt had his moment of glory in 2016. He claimed the UFC bantamweight title with a stellar performance against 135-pound legend Dominick Cruz. Then? Three consecutive knockouts in fights with T.J. Dillashaw (twice) and Pedro Munhoz.
“No Love” did manage a first-round win over Raphael Assuncao. But then he lost to Font and Kai Kara-France in 2021. Now, Garbrandt is entering UFC 300 on a high after wins over Trevin Jones and Brian Kelleher. Figueiredo, however, likes what he sees on tape.
“Every athlete fears getting touched,” Figueiredo said. “Many fighters like the in-fight but crumble when a hand lands. You have to be a badass, you need a strong mind to come back again. I think I’ll affect his mind by touching him, and he’s going to respect me more.”
Figueiredo and Garbrandt were supposed to face off in a 125-pound contest back in 2020. Back when “Deus da Guerra” held UFC flyweight gold. But Garbrandt suffered an injury while training for what would’ve been his flyweight debut.
Now, they’re meeting at 135 pounds. Figueiredo said he feels much better cutting less weight. And he’s got a promise for Garbrandt – he’s going for his head at the T-Mobile Arena.
“I really want the knockout in this fight,” Figueiredo said. “This fight could lead me to a title, so I want to impress. It’s going to be an incredible fight. Cody moves a lot and gives his all in the first round, and I have that same aggressive style. It’s going to be an intense fight.”
The Brazilian talent signed a new six-fight deal ahead of UFC 300. He feels he can finally be more active inside the cage now that he’s done with his hard weight cuts.
“Cody is an excellent athlete, and we’re both former champions,” Figueiredo said. “I feel healthy in this division, and I was able to show that in my first fight [against Font]. He didn’t feel healthy at the time [at flyweight], and now we’re going to fight. I’m going to his division, where he feels better, and we’ll put on a great fight. I’m sure fans will love this fight.”