Rumors have been circulating about a potential matchup between Cody Garbrandt and Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 300. Some sources have even reported that the bout is confirmed. Garbrandt made the call to face Figueiredo, the Brazilian fighter, after securing a first-round knockout win against Brian Kelleher in December. This victory extended Garbrandt’s winning streak to two, having won both of his bouts since returning to the bantamweight division.
On the other hand, Figueiredo, a former flyweight champ, made his 135-pound debut at UFC on ESPN 52 when he faced Rob Font. He won comfortably via unanimous decision. Figueiredo’s fight with Font marked the first time he faced a different opponent apart from Brandon Moreno since 2020. Following his victory over Kelleher, Garbrandt called for a bout against Figueiredo, as both fighters aimed to make a run at the bantamweight title.
Fans reacted to the rumors, expressing concern over Garbrandt’s chin and how it would hold up during the fight. The 32-year-old has had mixed results in the octagon in recent years. He had a 3-5 record in his last eight bouts, with four of those losses coming via TKO or KO. One fan stated that Figueiredo was going to “put him in a coffin,” while another believed that Cody would “surprise the world.”
UFC president Dana White had previously promised fans that multiple titles would be on the line at UFC 300. The event is scheduled to take place on April 13, 2024, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Although it has been billed as the biggest card of the year, a few fights are yet to be announced. Last week, White confirmed the first title bout of the pay-per-view on social media, featuring an historic all-Chinese clash as women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili defends her title against Yan Xiaonan. White mentioned that it would be the first time two Chinese contenders face off for a world title in the UFC.
