Number 1 Ranked UFC BW Sean O’Malley Reacts to Former Champion’s Addition at 135 Lbs Division

UFC 283 was indeed a visual treat for fans. There were many brutal fights that made the event much more remarkable. The flyweight fighters in the co-main event, Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno had one of the most ferocious fights. Both fighters tried their best to give each other a tough time. Finally, Moreno became the ultimate winner after defeating Figueiredo by technical knockout. 

Soon after losing the fight, Figueiredo removed his gloves. Everyone thought the star was going to quit, but he was just moving up to bantamweight. Many expressed their take on the matter, and finally, the #1-ranked bantamweight Sean O’Malley expressed his view on the matter.

Sean O’Malley on Deiveson Figueiredo’s decision

Sean O’Malley and Tim Welch were talking in the 222 episode of ‘Timosugarshow’. When Welch asked what O’Malley thinks about Figueiredo‘s weight division shift, at first, ‘Sugar’ seemed visibly confused about Figueiredo’s decision; he asked if he was actually moving up. Later, O’Malley agreed that the decision was not bad because the Brazilian fighter looked big to him.

However, when Welch expressed his opinion about the weight shift, he talked about how powerful and explosive Figueiredo looked. Additionally, for such a powerful fight, flyweight is definitely not the right choice. Welch asked O’Malley how much weight he thinks Figueiredo lost to reach 125 lbs. O’Malley, without a second thought, told “I don’t know probably a lot“. Hence, O’Malley too, thinks Figueiredo’s shift from 125 to 135 pounds won’t be a bad idea.

The longtime rivals

 It was impossible to anticipate the outcome of the fight based on the Mexican and Brazilian fighters’ prior encounters. When they squared off for the UFC Flyweight championship in 2020, their first bout became an example of how an unexpected result might happen. The bout was drawn after five rounds of close-quarters fighting. Later, at UFC 263, in 2021, the two fought again. This time, Moreno was adamant about wanting to win. He was declared the winner in round three after rear-naked choking Figueiredo to submission. During the fight, the Brazilian UFC fighter dealt with some of his hardest hits.

READ MORE: Stressed UFC Champion Announces Weight Change After Next Fight: “I Don’t Want to Put My Body Through Too Much”

The game, however, completely shifted when they faced off for the third time at UFC 270. They had the most difficult battle, and they once again showed how challenging it is to win against one another. The judges declared Figueiredo the winner after a closely-fought match. People were surprised by the outcome because they believed Moreno had a solid chance to win.

Finally, Moreno prevailed in their bout at UFC 283, prompting Figueiredo to declare his retirement from the flyweight class. Fans can now anticipate seeing the former flyweight champion in a more powerful form.

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