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Former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo said he entered the UFC on ESPN 67 main event affected by health problems.
Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo says his health wasn’t up to par entering the UFC on ESPN 67 main event against Cory Sandhagen.
Figueiredo (24-5-1 MMA, 13-5-1 UFC) sought to return to the win column at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, but tapped out due to a leg injury caused by Sandhagen (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) during a grappling exchange in the second round of the bantamweight headliner.
“Deus Da Guerra” has revealed that his preparation and performance were affected by a pair of health issues: a jaw injury during camp prevented the former champion from properly training, and a bacterial infection required antibiotics during fight week, Figueiredo said in an interview with Ag Fight.
“I wasn’t 100% (at the time of the fight),” Figuredo said in Portuguese (translated by Ag Fight). “Let me be clear, I was out of action for three weeks. I got hit in the jaw with a straight punch and my jaw dislocated. That prevented me from doing any serious sparring for a month. So, I was doing positions, doing mitt movements, to burn calories, to avoid being inactive.
“And towards the end, during the trip, I got some scratches defending a takedown, I didn’t take proper care of them, and it got infected. I traveled on Saturday night at 2 a.m. with a high fever. I had a fever on Sunday, I had a fever on Monday and on Tuesday – the week of the fight – I still had a fever in the morning. I have a bacteria in my leg, I’m still taking antibiotics – the bacteria that caused the fever – and where you press with your finger, there’s a hole in my leg.”
The fight against Sandhagen was Figueiredo’s first appearance of the year, and one that was important for title considerations. Despite being compromised by health issues, Figueiredo said his financial obligations were too important to pass up a main event payday. Combined with encouragement from his family and friends, the 37-year-old Brazilian fighter decided to compete.
The fight’s result places Figueiredo on a two-fight skid, which he has no regrets about. The former champ hopes that by not pulling out of the fight, he will remain in good graces with the UFC.
“I’m still among the top five, let’s see what the UFC will give me next,” Figueiredo said. “My manager is already in contact with them. Even though I was sick and couldn’t fight, I fought to avoid losing the main event. So, I really hope the UFC gives me another good fight.”
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