Deiveson Figueiredo has been working diligently to address the shortcomings identified in his recent fight, aiming to become a more effective competitor and secure a victory against Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Des Moines scheduled for May 3.
The former UFC flyweight champion suffered his first defeat in the bantamweight division in November 2024, losing a unanimous decision to fellow former champion Petr Yan in China. Following this setback, he returned to his training base at the Pitbull Brothers gym in Natal, Brazil, with the specific goal of refining his skills and correcting tactical gaps. Figueiredo recently shared a video clip on social media demonstrating a drill focused on dodging thrown disks.
Describing the exercise, Figueiredo explained, “We perform this consistently here at the gym with our strength and conditioning coach, Xicão, who also coaches Patricio and Patricky Pitbull. We move in a circular pattern, almost like drawing a figure-eight on the ground, while he throws disks at us and we do our utmost to evade them. And honestly, I did quite well.”
Figueiredo pinpointed a lack of head movement and overall mobility as the primary issues impacting his performance during the 25-minute contest against Yan in Macau.
“I`ve reviewed my fight with Petr Yan repeatedly and I`m fully aware of my mistakes – and I`ve worked hard to rectify them,” Figueiredo stated. “I was too stationary, too flat-footed against Petr Yan. That approach was incorrect. I should have been more persistent in attempting takedowns. Regardless, valuable lessons were learned. If you`re not learning from your experiences, you should probably stop fighting.”
Prior to his loss to Yan, the talented Brazilian held a 3-0 record in the bantamweight division with wins over Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon Vera. He is now focused on regaining momentum by challenging Sandhagen in Iowa. Cory “Sandman” Sandhagen holds a 10-4 record in the UFC and is currently on a three-fight winning streak.
“Cory is incredibly versatile; he moves a lot and frequently switches stances,” Figueiredo observed. “I even find the way he switches stances, often crossing his legs, a bit peculiar, but he is undeniably talented. We absolutely must stay alert and avoid underestimating him. We need to be 100 percent focused on securing the win and bringing it back home.”
He continued, “Cory is highly skilled and relies heavily on his jabs, constantly throwing them. He also has dangerous knees. We know he looks for takedown opportunities when they arise, but I possess strong jiu-jitsu – and I`ve been further improving my ground game… I am fully committed to this. I`m not taking a casual approach. When I set my sights on achieving something, I never back down.”
Since moving up to the 135-pound division, Figueiredo has recorded one finish, a submission victory over former champion Cody Garbrandt. As a flyweight, he stopped seven opponents. In his UFC career, Sandhagen has only been finished once, via a first-round rear-naked choke by Aljamain Sterling in 2020.
Figueiredo stated his clear intention for the upcoming bout: “I`m going in there with the aim of not letting it go the full five rounds. I`m bringing everything I have. If I get him to the ground, I will submit him. However, I`ve also been actively working on my striking. I acknowledge he`s skilled and moves well, but my ultimate goal is to stop him before the final bell. That`s what I desire, and that`s precisely what I`m training for.”
