Initially, UFC 256 was scheduled to have Amanda Nunes defending the women's featherweight championship against Megan Anderson. Unfortunately, the dual champion had to pull out. The UFC quickly booked a new headliner with bantamweight champion Petr Yan meeting top contender Aljamain Sterling. However, Yan had visa issues and wouldn't be able to compete on the show. UFC 256 was in severe trouble as the UFC prefers to have championship fights as their main event for PPVs. They were running into a problem, though, as their champions had just been in fights or were suffering from injuries.
Deiveson Figueiredo choked out Alex Perez in under two minutes in the main event of UFC 255 on Nov. 21 to make his first successful flyweight title defense. On the featured preliminary bout, No. 1-ranked flyweight Brandon Moreno stopped Brandon Royval in the first round. It was clear that the two top fighters at 125-pounds were on a collision course for a fight in 2021.
But there was an opportunity for the two to clash sooner than expected.
"I'm here to challenge Brandon Moreno," Figueiredo said through a translator after beating Perez. "Do you want to fight me in December (at UFC 256)? I am the best pound for pound, so I am here at your disposal. Come on, Dana, make this fight happen in December."
Little did Figueiredo know, the UFC was putting the wheels in motion to make a third attempt at a UFC 256 main event.
As 2020 has shown, things don't always go the way they are supposed to. Instead of a clash at the turn of the calendar year, Figueiredo and Moreno are going to be making history as they will meet in the main event of Saturday's UFC 256 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nev. When the bell sounds for the bout to begin, Figueiredo will break the UFC record for the shortest span between title defenses at 21 days.
How did Figueiredo and Moreno end up fighting three weeks later in the UFC's final pay-per-view of the year?
"I knew the UFC needed a main event for UFC 256 with Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson and then Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling not happening," Moreno told DAZN News. "So the UFC needed a new main event for the pay-per-view. We can't say no to the company because they needed Deiveson and I. This situation was weird for the both of us. We are both ready to fight."
Moreno wasn't even thinking about fighting in 21 days when he decided to visit the fast-food restaurant Shake Shack after UFC 255. While in the middle of eating an enormous and juicy cheeseburger, Moreno received a call asking if he wanted to take on Figueiredo.
"Everything was literally very fast," Moreno told DAZN News. "I fight Brandon Royval on Nov. 21, and maybe two or three hours after the fight, my manager comes to me and says, 'Hey, UFC is asking you if you're ready to fight against Figueiredo for the title in three weeks on Dec. 12?'
"Everything was weird. I say to my coach and my manager, 'Hey, I can't even think about that. I need just two minutes.' They said yes. I call my head coach, and he's like, 'Hey man, you are ready. You are in shape. You are ready to fight five or six rounds around if you want. You have no injuries from the last fight as you won very fast'. I made the decision in two minutes."
The million-dollar question is, did Moreno finish the cheeseburger even though he just accepted the fight?
"I definitely finished the cheeseburger," Moreno said while laughing. "Monday, I went back with my diet."
Even though Figueiredo challenged Moreno for UFC 256, he didn't expect it to happen. He was going to head back to Brazil and help his wife finish the touches to their new home.
"To be honest, it wasn't the plan," Figueiredo admitted to DAZN News through a translator. "I was planning on having my last fight and going back home and be with my family. But it was a nice surprise. Obviously, I embrace the opportunity. There's a lot going on, and now there are people saying that I'll be going for the fighter of the year. I'm so happy to be able to do this and to be a part of history with the quickest return of a champion in UFC history."
Like Moreno, when the UFC approached Figueiredo with the opportunity, the dynamic flyweight champion wasn't sure of that quick of a turnaround considering the short amount of time between fights. That changed for the Brazilian after talking with his nutritionist to ensure it would be safe to do and not be taxing on his body and finding out the opponent would be Moreno.
"When I was first offered the fight, we thought it wasn't going to be possible due to the lack of time," Figueiredo said. "But when they mentioned Brandon Moreno and they said it would be him, I thought there's no reason why I can accept the fight. He fought on the same night I did, the same event. So if he could do it, I could do it honestly.
"We reached out to my nutritionist to check on my weight and my body and everything, and thankfully, my weights been great. Everything's been great. I'm more than ready for this fight on Saturday."
After having a pizza following his title defense at UFC 255, Figueiredo went right back to his diet the following Monday. Questions have lingered about Figueiredo's weight due to missing weight in his February bout with Joseph Benavidez for the vacant 125-pound title. With a quicker than expected turnaround, people feel there's a possibility Figueiredo will miss weight again. When DAZN News talked with the Brazilian on Monday, he squashed those assertions.
"This morning, I woke up around 135," Figueiredo said. "Tomorrow, I'm going to be at about 132. So we're right on weight and right on schedule. Now we just have to keep doing what we're doing and then follow the game plan to beat Brandon Moreno."
To Figueiredo, taking the fight right now with Moreno is personal, which gets him more focused than he's ever been for an opponent.
"Brandon posted some things (on social media)," Figueiredo said. "He called me out and talked a lot about me. That irritated me a little bit. I completely understand that people will call me out, especially as a champion, but you know, whenever that happens, it kind of lights a fire in me and instigates me a little bit. That's definitely what I'm feeling, and it just gives me more of a desire to go there and knock him out on Saturday."
Now that UFC 256 fight week is upon us and Figueiredo and Moreno are days away from making history, each competitor envisions victory differently.
"If I'm the next flyweight champion, I know I can change a lot of things," Moreno said. "I know I can change the life of my family, my kids, or my people in Mexico. My country can change with my victory. So it is a lot of pressure. But at the same time, I'm very motivated and so excited to get the win for my family, for my country and for me."
"I see myself knocking this guy out. In any situation, I knock him out," Figueiredo added. "I can't stop thinking about knocking this guy out. I just know I want a finish in the first round."