The UFC Flyweight belt will be unified in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at UFC 283 .
Current champion Deiveson Figueiredo will face interim title holder Brandon Moreno on January 21, representing the first time in the history of the promotion that two fighters will meet each other for a fourth time.
Figueiredo announced the news via social media yesterday.
The pair’s initial meeting in late 2020, resulting in a majority draw, saw Figueiredo retain his 125-pound title, while Moreno sealed the rematch with a third-round rear naked choke. Their most recent third scrap again was decided by the judges who, this time, scored the five-round contest unanimously in Figueiredo’s favor – a somewhat controversial decision at the time.
The AllStar MMA roundup
- Return: Casey O’Neill hints at March return, teases change in divisions
- Breakdown: Johnny Eblen doesn’t feel Alex Pereira possesses “crafty” Israel Adesanya’s kryptonite
- UFC Vegas 62: Brandon Davis: The fighter who scrapped his way back into the UFC on one good knee
- Breakdown: Islam Makhachev is like Khabib Nurmagomedov but with better striking, says Matt Frevola
The best of the rest
- Wanderlei Silva loses bid to join Brazilian congress – Forbes.com
- UFC champ Aljamain Sterling: ‘Definitely no doubt in my mind’ that T.J. Dillashaw still cheating – MMAJunkie.com
- Bo Nickal isn’t buying the hype around Khamzat Chimaev: ‘Everybody thinks he’s untouchable and I know he’s not’ – MMAFighting.com
- Scott Coker: Fedor Emelianenko wants to ‘fight right away,’ still eyes Ryan Bader rematch for retirement fight – MMAJunkie.com
- Dieting Paddy Pimblett back in training camp for UFC return: ‘We’ve got a potential date’ – MMAMania.com
The soapbox
Some breakdancing Tony Ferguson to kick off your Tuesday:
Bo Nickal on people telling him to slow his roll:
Randy Brown takes issue with Jon Anik’s commentating:
Aljo looking primed ahead of UFC 280:
Nate Diaz’ first post-UFC fight:
Life imitates art:
Chris Leben becomes a fully certified MMA judge:
The morning view
Reminisce with Ben ‘The Bane’ Davis in This Week in Combat Sports:
Jared Vanderaa catches up with JHK ahead of UFC Vegas 63:
Israel Adesanya’s UFC 281 fight camp documentary episode one:
Chael discusses The UFC Vegas 61 scoring ‘controversy’:
Done deals
Tuesday
- Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo to fight Interim Champion Brandon Moreno at UFC 283 on January 21st (per Rodrigo Del Campo Gonzales)
- Ronnie Lawrence to fight Cameron Saaiman at UFC 282 on December 10th (per Mike Heck)
- Drakkar Klose to fight Mark O. Madsen at UFC Vegas 63 on October 29th (per Vegas Insider)
- Josh Parisian to fight Chase Sherman at UFC Vegas 64 on November 5th (per Nolan King)
Monday
- None to note
On this day in MMA…
On the 4th of October, 2014, Paul ‘The Irish Dragon’ Felder made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 54 in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Felder entered the organisation with an undefeated record of 8-0 and would face Jason Saggo, 10-1, on the preliminary card of the Fight Night event.
As would be tradition for Felder throughout his UFC run, the contest ended in a split decision after 15 minutes. Two of the judges gave the debutant the nod, and Felder climbed to 9-0.
Felder would compete fourteen more times in The UFC, to mixed results, before retiring in 2020.
