Missing weight cost Deiveson Figueiredo a lot more than just the UFC flyweight title

Deiveson Figueiredo lost a lot more than just the UFC flyweight title after missing weight for his victory over Joseph Benavidez at UFC Norfolk.

In the main event of the UFC Norfolk, the Brazilian flyweight challenged the MMA veteran Joseph Benavidez. The athletes were fighting for the 125-pound title since it was relinquished by Henry Cejudo earlier this year. Despite having a previous victory over Cejudo in 2016, Benavidez failed to take home the flyweight gold against Figueiredo. In the second round, the Brazilian connected with a clean right hand that sent Benavidez crashing to the canvas.

However, the celebrations were stopped before they even began, as the Brazilian’s weigh-in results revoked his eligibility for the 125-pound title. The day prior to the bout, Figueiredo missed weight by 2.5lbs. His manager, Wallid Ismail spoke to BJPenn.com and revealed that the doctor had advised him to stop cutting weight.

“Stuff happens,” he said. “He described to his doctor what he was feeling and his doctor told him to be careful and not cut any more weight. He felt a bad cramp and was nauseous. It was that. His doctor advised him to stop the weight cut.”

Figueiredo lost 30% of his purse winnings in addition to his eligibility for the flyweight title. He also lost out on $25,000 in Promotional Compliance Guidelines pay — his payment for wearing Reebok in the cage.

According to Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, his compliance payment was downgraded from $30k to $5k, as he was not technically in a title fight.

Not only did Deiveson Figueiredo’s weight miss cost him a title (and 30% of his purse), but it also cost him $25,000 in Promotional Compliance Guidelines pay. Confirmed with a UFC official he was downgraded from $30k to $5k. #UFCNorfolk https://t.co/RwVu7zmnsH

— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) March 1, 2020

Benavidez, on the other hand, took home $30,000 in Reebok pay for their main event fight. The other fighters from the UFC Norfolk event took home a total of $119,500 through UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay.

What do you think is next for Deiveson Figueiredo after UFC Norfolk?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 3/2/2020.