The excitement around the MMA realm is palpable as UFC gets ready for its first event in the Galaxy Arena, Macau, China, after a decade. On top of that, Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo are set to lock horns in the main event. Needless to say, watching two former UFC champions clash at UFC Fight Night 248 would be nothing short of extraordinary. 

But where do the fighters stand when compared to each other? Today, let’s put ‘No Mercy’ and ‘Deus da Guerra’ head-to-head and see how far they’ve come in the realm of mixed martial arts.

Comparing Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo’s head-to-head record

Ranked at the third spot in the bantamweight athlete rankings, Yan has amassed a professional MMA record of 17 wins and 5 defeats. Under the banner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, ‘No Mercy’ has garnered a record of 9 victories and just 4 losses. He began his UFC career with a first-round knockout win over Teruto Ishihara at UFC Fight Night 132, back in 2018. This victory pushed him to 6 more consecutive wins before he faced his first defeat against Aljamain Sterling. 

Figueiredo boasts a professional MMA record of 24-3-1. His last three wins since moving up from flyweight helped him secure the 5th position in the UFC bantamweight rankings. The Brazilian began his fighting career 2 years before Yan, in 2012. He went on an impressive 15-fight win streak before facing his first defeat. Under contract with the UFC, ‘Deus da Guerra’ won 13 fights but lost 3. He debuted in the UFC against Marco Beltran at UFC 212 and won the fight with a corner stoppage. And the first defeat? It came by the hands of Jussier Formiga via a unanimous decision. 

Coming into UFC Fight Night 248, Yan has a 1-fight win streak, with his previous 3 fights resulting in back-to-back losses. Meanwhile, Figueiredo boasts a 3-fight win streak. Needless to say, the two-time flyweight champion’s performance against Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon Vera greatly impressed the fighting community.

Also, Figueiredo can reach up to 68 inches, which is an inch more than Yan’s reach. It’s pretty cool to note how a man 2 inches shorter can kick farther, don’t you think? It is indeed a good matchup with Yan being 31 and his opponent being 36. But there’s one thing that excites the fight fans more than just a good matchup. So, how is this one going to end?

Who has more finishes? Yan or Figueiredo?

Yan began training in the realm of martial arts when he was just 13 years old and entered the world of MMA when he turned 20. His early boxing career is indeed reflected in his fights. Executing uppercuts and playing with jabs built his career. The 31-year-old won his amateur fights by KO via punches. His fists got him 5 more KO wins as a professional. ‘No Mercy’ defeated Jose Aldo with ground and pound, becoming the bantamweight champion at UFC 251. The trend continued as he won against Urijah Faber with a head kick. And the cherry on top? He has 1 win via submission on his record.

But Figueiredo has significantly more finishes than the Russian. He has 9 wins via KO/TKO and another 9 by submission. ‘Deus da Guerra’ provided his power by finishing Alex Perez, Garbrandt, and Tim Eliott with submissions. No doubt, his guillotine and RNC are something that Yan needs to be wary of. 

Yan’s strength is reflected by the fact that he has never been knocked out or submitted throughout his career. But Figueiredo has faced one defeat via KO and one via submission. And the surprising fact is both of these losses came at the hands of Brandon Moreno. Nevertheless, he managed to defend his championship title against him once, even though it ended up in a draw, and defeated him at UFC 270 via a unanimous decision. And at UFC Fight Night 248, both Yan and Figueiredo would strive to win and extend their winning streaks. 

Who do you think would win at UFC Macau? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.