UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is confident he’d make quick work of Deiveson Figueiredo inside the Octagon.
Figueiredo defeated former UFC title challenger Marlon Vera at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday by unanimous decision. His resurgence at bantamweight continued this weekend as he moved one step closer to a potential title shot.
O’Malley will face the surging Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 next month but is still keeping a keen eye on the rest of the bantamweight division. This includes Figueiredo, who dismantled O’Malley’s most recent title challenger over three rounds.
Despite the impressive nature of Figueiredo’s performance, O’Malley wasn’t taken aback by anything that Figueiredo showed against his former two-time rival.
Sean O’Malley Blasts ‘Little Twat’ Deiveson Figueiredo
In a recent tweet, O’Malley gave a less-than-glowing review of Figueiredo’s performance.
“I’d KO that little twat,” O’Malley tweeted.
As of this writing, Figueiredo hasn’t responded to O’Malley’s recent tweet. He called for a title shot against the O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili winner during his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.
Figueiredo has won three consecutive fights since making the full-time move from flyweight to bantamweight last year. A tetralogy loss to Brandon Moreno at UFC 283 preceded recent wins over Cody Garbrandt and Rob Font.
O’Malley, one of the UFC’s top pound-for-pound fighters, will look to successfully defend his belt for the second time at UFC 306. He’ll headline the UFC’s one-off event at the Las Vegas Sphere, in the first major sporting event held at the venue.
Figueiredo is looking to reclaim a UFC belt for the first time since a win over Moreno at UFC 270. Before losing the series against Moreno, Figueiredo seemed destined to be a potential long-term champion in the UFC flyweight division.
O’Malley remains laser-focused on his upcoming challenge against Dvalishvili; winner of 10 straight fights. But, many intriguing challengers including Figueiredo are waiting in the wings for a shot against the UFC titleholder.