Deiveson Figueiredo gets UFC pay-per-view points going forward, says manager

UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo will receive pay-per-view points in his contract going forward, says his manager Wallid Ismail.

Figueiredo has been open about his desire for a better contract in the wake of his incredible 2020 that has seen him crowned as “Fighter of the Year” by many MMA analysts. The Brazilian went 3-0-1 last year, with two wins over Joseph Benavidez by stoppage, a quick finish over Alex Perez, and an absolute war with Brandon Moreno that was a “Fight of the Year” candidate in itself. However, Figueiredo wasn’t getting pay-per-view points for those bouts.

When Figueiredo revealed he wasn’t getting PPV points, it surprised a lot of people as many assumed he had them in his contract. After all, Figueiredo headlined UFC 255 and UFC 256 as the flyweight champion, and typically, UFC champions get extra bonus money depending on how many PPVs are sold. However, Figueiredo wasn’t getting these bonuses. You can see why he was so frustrated after UFC president Dana White passed him up for 50k at UFC 255.

It appears that being vocal about his contract will work in Figueiredo’s favor. His manager Wallid Ismail confirmed with MMAFighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz that Figueiredo has been given PPV points by the UFC going forward.

“The guy was sick (at UFC 256) and still fought so the pay-per-view wouldn’t lose its main event. It was a draw but (the UFC) saw it as a win for us, and now they said he deserves the pay-per-view (points). The UFC really values a complete athlete, one that sells. You can’t be good but not sell. That’s why selling matters so much. That’s what I always tell my athletes,” Ismail said.

Considering his dominance in 2020, Figueiredo is very deserving of the bonuses. For his next title defense, White has already confirmed that the champ will defend his belt against Moreno in a rematch. Figueiredo himself has also mentioned a potential BMF fight against former champ Henry Cejudo.

How big of a draw do you think Deiveson Figueiredo can be for the UFC?