Deiveson Figueiredo needed less than two minutes to communicate his latest message to the rest of the 125-pound weight class: He intends for his reign to last.
The once-beaten Brazilian retained his undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight title, as he submitted Team Oyama’s Alex Perez with a guillotine choke in the first round of their UFC 255 main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Perez capitulated 1:57 into Round 1, bringing his three-fight winning streak to a close.
Figueiredo announced his intentions with a pair of brutal body kicks during the initial exchanges between champion and challenger.