Deiveson Figueiredo wouldn't be surprised to see Merab Dvalishvili emerge victorious in his first title defense as the bantamweight champion.
Dvalishvili is set to face Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of UFC 311, a pay-per-view event scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Despite riding an impressive 12-fight winning streak, the Georgian enters the fight as the betting underdog against Nurmagomedov. For Figueiredo, the style of the champion is the key to his success.
I tend more for Merab,” Figueiredo told MMA Junkie. “The reason I do this is his striking is not refined, but he manages to tire people and confuse them so he can take them down. On the other hand, Umar is a guy who knows how to submit from the bottom, so there’s that risk for Merab. But after five rounds, I see Merab’s hand being raised.
Figueiredo, a former flyweight champion, plans to closely follow UFC 311. The Brazilian expressed his desire to remain at bantamweight and potentially add another divisional title to his résumé.