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Deiveson Figueiredo Wants To Test Joshua Van’s Boxing, Vows To Knock Him Out
Deiveson Figueiredo is ready to return to flyweight and challenge champion Joshua Van.
The Brazilian will face Payton Talbott in a bantamweight bout this weekend in the co-main event of UFC 332, set to take place in Salt Lake City, Utah.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 24: (L-R) Deiveson Figueiredo strikes Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia in a bantamweight bout during the UFC 324 event at T-Mobile Arena on January 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
During the media day ahead of the event, Figueiredo was asked about potentially fighting the 125lbs champion, Van. The 38-year-old said:
I’ve been asking the UFC and telling them I will make that weight very easy. I’ve been asking them to make that fight, ‘I want that opportunity, and let’s see if his boxing is just as good as mine.’
The former flyweight champion added that whether he wins or loses at UFC 332, he plans to move down if the promotion gives him the opportunity.
200%. If the UFC gives me the opportunity, I go out there and knock him out.
Check out Deiveson Figueiredo’s comments below:
Deiveson Figueiredo says he very much wants to come back to flyweight and take on current champion Joshua Van
“I’ve been asking the UFC and telling them I will make that weight very easy. Let’s see if his boxing is as good as mine. If I get the opportunity I knock him out” pic.twitter.com/7qVqVuHdFv
— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) September 30, 2026
Deiveson Figueiredo Calls Alexandre Pantoja’s Game Plan against Joshua Van Wrong
Alexandre Pantoja took on Joshua Van in the main event of UFC 331, which concluded a couple of weeks ago. The five-round war saw Van emerge victorious via unanimous decision, while also successfully defending his flyweight title.
The scorecards for the fight read 49–46, 48–47, 50–45 in favor of the young Burmese-American.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 19: (R-L) Joshua Van of Myanmar punches Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil in the UFC flyweight championship fight during the UFC 331 event at Crypto.com Arena on September 19, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Breaking down the fight at the UFC 332 media day, Figueiredo claimed that Pantoja’s game plan in the fight was ‘wrong’ and that he should have resorted to more wrestling than striking.
Pantoja is an amazing fighter, but I think that the game plan has wrong, because he was trying to push the striking. Why not use more grappling in this fight?