November 30, 2023 9:20 pm ET
Brandon Moreno thinks ex-rival Deiveson Figueiredo made the right choice by moving up to bantamweight.
Former flyweight champion Figueiredo (21-3-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) makes his 135-pound debut against Rob Font (20-7 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 52 main card at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
Moreno and Figueiredo competed in four title fights, with Moreno getting the last laugh by stopping Figueiredo at UFC 283 to unify the flyweight titles. Figueiredo hasn’t competed since then.
“I gave him that advice before the third fight against him,” Moreno told MMA Junkie on Figueiredo’s move to bantamweight. “But I think it’s a smart decision. He’s big, man. He was a really huge ’25er. My only question about this fight is if he can keep the same power in the 135-pound division.
“At 125, he was always the bigger fighter in the middle of the octagon and put a lot of pressure with a lot of power in the right hand. I want to see if he can keep the same power in the ’35 division.”
Moreno (21-6-2 MMA, 9-3-2 UFC), who lost his title in the fight after to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290, sees Font as a formidable challenge for Figueiredo. He’s interested to see how Figueiredo does without having the size advantage.
“Rob Font is a real challenge for him,” Moreno said. “It’s a real fight and he has experience and the size. I think the size is not an advantage for Figueiredo in this one. So, let’s see.”
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