UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo believes he’d have only needed another 30 seconds to have finished arch-rival Brandon Moreno in round three at UFC 270.
At the opening pay-per-view of 2022, Moreno and Figueiredo met for the third time. While the Mexican was aiming to cement his status as reigning 125-pound king and turn the page on the Figueiredo chapter of his career, the Brazilian was hoping to become the first two-time flyweight titleholder in UFC history and regain his place on the throne.
After five rounds of entertaining Fight of the Night-worthy action, it was “Deus Da Guerra” who accomplished his goal and had his hand raised. With scores of 48-47 across the board, Figueiredo avenged his submission setback to Moreno last June and set the trilogy score at 1-1-1.
Figueiredo: I Needed 30 More Seconds For The Kill
One of the pivotal rounds in the co-main event was the third. In a close frame, Figueiredo gained the momentum and almost finished the fight in the closing seconds after dropping Moreno with a flush right hand. Despite locking in what appeared to be a tight guillotine choke, “The Assassin Baby” survived thanks to the round-ending horn.
During his appearance at the post-fight press conference, Figueiredo was asked what he felt at that moment and whether he thought he was close to the finish. The newly-crowned champ suggested if there were another 30 seconds in the round, the fight wouldn’t have gone beyond the third stanza.
“You know, if it was 30 seconds more, I feel that I would have gotten him,” said Figueiredo. “I think that he lost his senses a little bit. He looked like he was not feeling too well there. He was kind of saved by the buzzer, and I do feel like his soul left his body. I do feel that with 30 seconds, I would’ve just killed that guy.”
While we certainly had another intriguing clash added to the history books for Figueiredo and Moreno’s rivalry, one thing we didn’t get was closure to it. With the score now at 1-1-1, it stands to reason the pair will meet for a historical fourth contest down the line, maybe even immediately.
However, with top contenders like Askar Askarov, Alexandre Pantoja, and Kai Kara-France all hoping to stake their claim for a title shot, perhaps the UFC will choose to divert from Figueiredo vs. Moreno 4 for the time being.
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