‘How Do I Say You’re the Rightful Undisputed Champion?”- MMA Pundit Chael Sonnen Questions Deiveson Figueiredo’s Recent Statements
MMA pundit Chael Sonnen spoke out via his YouTube channel and talked about the trending news involving UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. ‘Deus de Guerra’ went on record to say that he would leave the flyweight division behind and chase the bantamweight title if the UFC didn’t adhere to his demands for more money.
These statements came after the UFC announced an interim title between Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France now that Figueiredo is out of action due to injury.
Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen wasn’t on board with Deiveson Figueiredo’s plans and said that talking about leaving the division behind was the right way to go.
“Figueiredo has now come out and said I’m gonna leave the division. If he’s going to leave the division, then not only is it extremely appropriate that we do this interim belt, it’s more appropriate that we revisit it to figure out if this needs to be the undisputed belt. We’ve got to take him at his word.”
The trilogy is on. Brandon Moreno will defend his title against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 269 on Dec. 11. UFC looked into booking Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja, but Pantoja won’t be ready before end of the year. Moreno wanted to be active and was willing to fight any challenger. pic.twitter.com/8DqG9coYWR
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) September 16, 2021
“I wanna throw an arm around Figueiredo and say hey, the community respects you, everything’s great. But then when he comes off the back of it and says I’m not returning to the division, how do I say you’re the rightful undisputed champion?”
Additionally, he felt that the UFC will feel obligated to strip him off his title after he’s gone on record to say that he’s leaving the division. This could possibly put Deiveson Figueiredo on the backfoot and he’ll likely be in a disadvantageous position to earn more money as a non-champion, as compared to a titlist.
Here are the opening odds for Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno 4:
Deiveson Figueiredo +105 (21/20)
Brandon Moreno -125 (4/5)(odds via @betonline_ag) 🏆 pic.twitter.com/e654Ziu32X
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) March 22, 2022
“He’s stated that he’s going to leave the division, and he’s 95% certain that he’s not returning. Now we do need to relook at it and go okay, we weren’t stripping you, but now it sounds like we need to strip you. We’ve got to take you at your word.” [h/t bjpenn.com]
Deiveson Figueiredo will have a keen eye on the outcome of the Moreno vs Kara-France match-up and in all likelihood, he will proceed with his decision once the fight has wrapped up.
