Former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo suffered a severe knee injury during his loss to Cory Sandhagen at UFC Des Moines. However, he has received good news regarding the damage.
His manager, Alex Davis, confirmed on Thursday that Figueiredo sustained a tear in his knee`s anterolateral ligament. Fortunately, the injury is not serious enough to necessitate surgery. Figueiredo will undergo physical therapy, which he has already commenced, and rest to aid his recovery.
The injury occurred in the second round during a grappling exchange. As Sandhagen moved forward, his legs became entangled with Figueiredo`s. Figueiredo immediately reacted with pain in his knee and tapped out moments later, resulting in a TKO victory for Sandhagen due to the injury.
Describing the injury, Davis stated, “It’s very painful.” He clarified that Figueiredo wasn`t “finished” by Sandhagen but rather the fight ended due to a “freak accident.”
Replays clearly showed Figueiredo`s knee appearing to pop during the grappling situation, and his look of pain was evident. He was assisted out of the octagon and later returned to Brazil to seek medical attention.
With the non-surgical diagnosis, Figueiredo is reportedly “already asking to fight again” and hopes to return to training in the near future.
This marked an unfortunate conclusion to the fight, particularly as Figueiredo aimed to rebound against Sandhagen in the UFC`s return to Iowa. The loss is his second consecutive defeat since moving up to the bantamweight division after securing three impressive victories.
While a specific timeframe for his next fight is unclear, Davis emphasizes Figueiredo`s eagerness to compete again once his knee has healed. He anticipates a swift return to action.
