Deiveson Figueiredo opts to stay at flyweight and books fight with Manel Kape for UFC 290 in July

Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo is deciding to stick at 125 pounds.

‘Deus da Guerra’ has been out of action since his fourth fight with Brandon Moreno in January. Heading into the matchup at UFC 283, the series sat at 1-1-1. Furthermore, the bout was the first time two fighters in the company’s history had clashed on four occasions.

In their fourth bout earlier this year, ‘The Assassin Baby’ was unrelenting. Moreno wound up dominating the action en route to a third-round doctor’s stoppage win. In the process, the Mexican fighter re-claimed the flyweight gold, and his rivalry with Figueiredo was over.

Following the loss, Deiveson Figueiredo announced his plans to move up. The former flyweight champion had always teased that he would one-day move to 135 pounds, as his weight cuts were notoriously tough. For the move, Figueiredo named former titleholder Dominick Cruz as a potential opponent.

However, it appears that he’s changed his mind about a bantamweight move. As first reported by Carlos Contreras Legaspi of ESPN Deportes, Figueiredo will instead return to the flyweight division at UFC 290 in July. There, the former champion will face the fastly rising contender, Manel Kape.

Photo credit: AsianMMA

‘Starboy’ entered the UFC on a two-fight losing streak in 2021, after leaving RIZIN as bantamweight champion. However, Kape has since found steady footing in the flyweight division. Heading into UFC 290, he’s riding a three-fight winning streak.

The addition of Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Manel Kape only helps build UFC 290 even further. The card currently has two title fights slated for the event, including Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez, and Brandon Moreno’s trilogy bout against Alexandre Pantoja.

What do you make of this fight announcement? Are you excited about UFC 290? Do you think Deiveson Figueiredo will defeat Manel Kape in his return? Sound off in the comment section below PENN Nation!