Deiveson Figueiredo plans to retire from his MMA career in three years, aiming to finish “by 38 or 39,” and is focused on his upcoming bantamweight debut against Rob Font, while expressing an interest in facing Dominick Cruz in what could be a major title fight.
Deiveson Figueiredo is slated to make his bantamweight debut on December 2nd, facing off against top-ranked Rob Font at UFC’s return to Minneapolis. As renowned for his past victories over high-level opponents such as Alexandre Pantoja, Brandon Moreno, and Joseph Benavidez as he is for his moniker, “Deus da Guerra”, Figueiredo has had a prolific decade-long career. However, recently, he disclosed that he was nearing the end of his MMA career. He said, “I have three more years ahead of me before retiring, and in the name of Jesus, I want to always put on great fights for the audience for as long as I’m in action.”
At 35, Figueiredo reflected on the transience of life and the importance of family, expressing his desire to retire “by 38 or 39 to enjoy my family”. He also talked about passing on his knowledge to future MMA fighters from his hometown. He shared his humble beginnings, stating, “I’m a kid that has always worked since I got involved with MMA. I wasn’t born in a wealthy family, and was raised in a farm in Soure, Marajo. My father was a cowherd and I would always help him till I discovered MMA.”
Thankful for his successful career in MMA, which had allowed him to support his family, Figueiredo elaborated, “Thank God I’ve achieved a lot through MMA. A kid that left Marajo, a simple town and the farm, is in the United States now, fighting in the world’s biggest organization, changing my family’s story through fighting.” Now, healthier and happier, he doesn’t have to cut an extra 10 pounds for the fight on December 2nd. Despite this, he will remain cautious about his diet to ensure that he is in peak condition for the fight.
Figueiredo is geared up to take on Font, and a win over Felder could set him up for a No. 1 contender bout with Dominick Cruz in 2024. “That would be a great name for me to fight in my second fight in the division,” Figueiredo said, before mentioning that he had recently moved to the United States to train alongside Henry Cejudo at Fight Ready. “I was away for a long time and fans are asking for more fights, they want to see me in action,” said Figueiredo, who promised his fans more “insane” fights in the future.