It’s hard to imagine a “Fighter of the Year” award being handed to an athlete that has missed weight for a championship bout, and hasn’t actually won every time he’s entered a cage to compete, but Deiveson Figueiredo’s perfectly imperfect year was hard to ignore.
“Deus da Guerra” started 2020 facing off against Joseph Benavidez for the UFC’s vacant 125-pound belt, but hestepped on the scale 2.5 pounds over the championship limit. Benavidez still had a chance to be crowned the new king that night in February, but Figueiredo simply demolished the veteran.
The UFC wasted no time booking an immediate rematch, this time for the infamous Fight Island of Abu Dhabi.