Incumbent UFC flyweight champion, Deiveson ‘Deus Da Garra’ Figueiredo’s manager, Wallid Ismail, has shed light on a “nightmare” medical situation the night before this client’s UFC 256 title defence against challenger, Brandon ‘The Assassin Baby’ Moreno last weekend — which almost forced him from the clash.
Figueiredo, who had stunningly made the flyweight limit of 125-pounds for the second time in just twenty-one-days, was like Moreno, making a quickfire Octagon return following his first successful title defence against Alex Perez at UFC 255 in late November.
Going five gruelling rounds with Tijuana native, Moreno, Figueiredo managed to come away with his champion status intact via a close majority draw, after referee Jason Herzog deducted a point from the gold holder due to an accidental groin strike.
Engaging with the former LFA flyweight titleholder over the course of the twenty-five minute period, Figueiredo was more than active in the pocket, launching damaging hooks as Moreno somehow managed to weather the storm time and time again — even stunning the Brazilian in some back-and-forths.
After the Fight of the Year contender, Figueiredo detailed to UFC colour-commentator, Joe Rogan that he had spent the early hours of the morning in a medical facility, with what he suspected was a stomach infection.
Speaking with ESPN MMA reporter, Ariel Helwani, Figueiredo’s manager, Ismail shed light on the condition the Para native was enduring — comparing the whole situation to a “nightmare” as the former dealt with dehydration.
“It was thirty-hours of (a) nightmare,” Ismail said. “When he (Deiveson Figueiredo) ate the soup, everything fell apart. He threw up a little bit and it started the nightmare. We get out from there, we go direct to the hospital.“
Ismail then told how Figueiredo had woken up with a bloated stomach, and he was forced to contact UFC officials to notify them of his client’s condition — with fear the main event clash would be shelved.
“His belly’s this size,” Ismail explained as he extended his arms outward. “Everybody was like, ‘He’s not going to fight.’ I called the UFC and said, ‘Hey man, the guy is really bad right now.’ We get to the hospital at 2:30 a.m., unbelievable. He said he could feel a lot of pain. I said, ‘The fight is gone.’“
As Figueiredo tried to deal with the pain and discomfort, he spoke with Ismail and explained how he wanted to save the pay-per-view event rather than exiting the contest on short notice.
“He looked at me, ‘Yes, I’m going to do it,’” Ismail explained. “Now he’s going to fight. The mindset of everybody is war, we’re going to war.“
Oddsmakers are still siding with Deiveson Figueiredo in a potential rematch with Brandon Moreno. Figueiredo successfully retained his title after fighting Moreno to a majority draw in their UFC 256 flyweight title headliner this past weekend. Although many were picking “Deus da Guerra” to comfortably come out on top, he was pushed to his limit […]
Despite earning the biggest win of his career, Ciryl Gane is remaining true to himself by not calling out any names. Gane defeated former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos via second-round TKO on the UFC 256 main card opener last night. As a result, he has now all but assured himself of a top-10 ranking […]
Kevin Holland was serious when he called for a fight with Khamzat Chimaev next week. Holland only competed last night at UFC 256 when he knocked out Jacare Souza in the first round of their middleweight contest. As a result, he went an impressive 5-0 in 2020 but he wasn’t looking to stop there — […]
Brandon Moreno is ready to go again with Deiveson Figueiredo. The pair fought to a majority decision draw in their UFC 256 flyweight title headliner last night in what was undoubtedly one of the greatest fights in the promotion’s history. Moreno was a big underdog going into the bout against the red-hot Figueiredo but managed […]