Dana White has confirmed that former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt will challenge Deiveson Figueiredo for the UFC flyweight title in November, also stating that Valentina Shevchenko will face Jennifer Maia on the same card.
Garbrandt will attempt to become the latest UFC fighter to claim a world title in a second weight class when he takes on the 19-1 Brazilian Figuiredo at the UFC’s November 21 card later this year, as reported by ESPN.
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Team Alpha Male fighter Garbrandt gets the title shot despite a 1-3 recent record at bantamweight in which he suffered a trio of knockout defeats in succession against T.J. Dillashaw (x2) and Pedro Munhoz.
Figueiredo, meanwhile, claimed the vacant 125lbs title when he bested Joseph Benavidez in the final seconds of the first round in the ‘Fight Island’ encounter last month – but has since expressed his hesitancy in competing with Garbrandt in his first defense, given the fact that ‘No Love’ has never competed at flyweight in his 15-fight professional career.
Breaking: It will be flyweight title night at UFC 255 on Nov. 21, per Dana White (@danawhite).Deiveson Figuiredo (@Daico_Deiveson) vs. Cody Garbrandt (@Cody_Nolove) and Valentina Shevchenko (@BulletValentina) vs. Jennifer Maia (@jennimaiaufc). More soon on @ESPN.
“We want him to prove he can make 125lbs and fight someone in my weight class,” he told MMA Fighting.
“After that, if he wins, he can come fight me. But we don’t agree with him coming down and skipping the line and going straight for the belt against me. He needs to prove he can make 125 and fight someone. It would be unfair if the UFC puts him straight for the belt. I think the UFC has to respect the others that worked hard for a title shot.”
However, it seems as if his stance has fallen on deaf ears as Garbrandt looks set to follow in the footsteps of heated rival Dillashaw in dropping a division in pursuit of a world title.
In Dillashaw’s case, he was beaten 32 seconds into the first round by then-champ Henry Cejudo. Shortly afterward he admitted to using banned substance EPO and was given a two-year ban from the sport.
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Meanwhile, White has also confirmed that Jennifer Maia will be the next challenger to Valentina Shevchenko’s flyweight title on the same card.
Maia usurped Scotland’s Joanne Calderwood a week ago in Las Vegas to claim the division’s number one contender spot – but she will have her work cut out against the excellent Shevchenko, whose only defeats in the last nine years have come against the thunder-fisted Amanda Nunes.
It is not yet confirmed where the UFC 255 card will take place. The UFC has usually earmarked Madison Square Garden as the host of their annual November event but COVID-19 restrictions in place suggest that the event will take place either in the company’s Apex facility in Las Vegas, or on their return to the “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
