This is the UFC Macau live blog for Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo, the bantamweight main event this Saturday in Macau.
A former bantamweight champion who fans once thought might reign for years on end, Yan has fallen on tough times recently. After losing his title via disqualification to Aljamain Sterling in 2021, Yan rebounded with an interim title win over Cory Sandhagen before losing three in a row, including his rematch with Sterling. On the precipice of fading into irrelevancy, Yan finally managed to rebound by beating Song Yadong at UFC 299 back in March and now hopes a win over the surging Figueiredo might get his career back on track.
Like Yan, many thought Figueiredo had the makings of a long-reigning champion back when he took the vacant flyweight title in 2020. But then Brandon Moreno upset those plans and after a four-pack of fights, Figueiredo found himself no longer the flyweight champion. In response, “Daico” decided to move up to 135 pounds in 2023, where’s he been a revelation. Putting together three straight wins over top opponents, Figueiredo is now on the cusp of a title shot if he can get past the former champion on Saturday.
Check out the UFC Macau live blog for Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo below.
