MMA Fighting confirmed with sources with knowledge of the matchup that Figueiredo (11-3-1, 1 NC), the younger brother of flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, is expected to make his UFC debut in a 125-pound bout against Jerome Rivera at a UFC event on Jan. 20 in Abu Dhabi.
The matchup was first reported by Combate.
Rivera (10-3) was reportedly in talks to fight Ode Osbourne at a Jan. 30 event, but Rivera has been moved to a matchup with Figueiredo. The reason for the change is not yet known.
This will be Figueiredo’s first fight since Sept. 28, 2019, when he battled Eduardo Souza to a draw in a bantamweight championship unification bout at a Jungle Fight show in Rio de Janeiro. Prior to that, “Sniper” had won two straight fights and five of his last six. Figueiredo, 31, has finished all but one of his 11 victories, with seven of those wins coming by way of submission.
Rivera, 25, was a contestant on the most recent season of Dana White’s Contender Series, but he did not earn a contract despite scoring a unanimous decision nod over Luis Rodriguez. However, six weeks after his Contender Series appearance, he was called up to fight Tyson Nam at a UFC APEX Fight Night on Sept. 19. Rivera was defeated by second-round TKO, snapping a three-fight winning streak.
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