UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo appeared to bury the hatchet with interim champ Brandon Moreno, but in a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Figueiredo massively backtracked. Once again, he reiterated his dislike for his fellow flyweight, insisting that Moreno’s so-called betrayal of former champ Henry Cejudo is at the root of their rivalry.
Figueiredo walked into the cage at UFC 277 shortly after Moreno dispatched Kai Kara-France. The pair engaged in a tense face-off until Brandon Moreno apologized for offending Figueiredo in any way and offered a handshake. The unexpectedly sincere gesture seemed to get through to Figueiredo, who reciprocated.
Figueiredo Is “Not Friends” With “Traitor” Moreno
“When I entered the cage, I entered with rage. I’m always looking for a knockout, but Brandon was so sweet during the interview that it was contagious and it kind of rubbed off on me. It kind of calmed the beast in me, but now I’m back, the rage is back, and I’m coming for the knockout in the fourth fight.”
His overall message seems to be that they are far from friendly. “I’m not friends with any kind of traitor.
The first thing he did was he betrayed Henry Cejudo. Henry opened his house to him and his family, they lived with Henry Cejudo, and then he went on to become [Joseph] Benavidez’s sparring partner. Second, after he lost to me, he abandoned his longtime coach for years, a person that helped create him, and he left him. So I’m never going to be friends with a traitor.
I don’t hate him, but we’re not friends. He wants to be friends, but this is the fourth fight. This is to make history. We can be friends after, but not before or during.”
The pair are currently 1-1-1 in their trilogy, and a fourth fight to unify the flyweight titles feels all but inevitable. Figueiredo, who won their last fight via decision, promises a similar result this time around.
“Brandon looked the same as he always has. He’s never changed his game. It’s always the same and I have the antidote for him.
Brandon Moreno knows I’m an incredible fighter, and I’m going to get to this fight even more incredible. I’m 95 percent, I’m already training all aspects of MMA. I’m a person that loves to go 110 percent for every training [session]. My game is evolving every single day and he knows nothing about my game. I’m going to bring a new game to him once again. He knows nothing about the ‘God of War.’ The quadrilogy, you will see a new ‘God of War’ in this fight.”
Do you agree with Deiveson Figueiredo’s prediction for the fourth Moreno fight? Let us know in the comments.
