Two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo sustained a significant knee injury during his fight against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Des Moines. However, the good news is that he will not require surgery to fix the issue.
His manager, Alex Davis, confirmed on Thursday that the Brazilian fighter tore his anterolateral knee ligament. The injury is not severe enough to necessitate surgery. Instead, Figueiredo will undergo physical therapy, which he has already begun, and focus on resting his knee for recovery.
The injury happened in the second round during a grappling sequence. As Sandhagen moved, their legs became entangled, causing Figueiredo immediate, visible pain in his knee. Shortly after, Figueiredo tapped out, leading to the fight being stopped and Sandhagen being awarded a TKO victory due to the injury.
“It`s very painful,” Davis stated, describing the nature of the injury. He added, “But he did not get finished. It was just a freak accident.”
Replays appeared to show Figueiredo`s knee pop during the grappling exchange, and the visible pain on his face confirmed the severity. He needed assistance to leave the octagon and later returned to Brazil for medical care.
Now that surgery isn`t required, Figueiredo is reportedly “already asking to fight again,” hoping to resume training soon.
This injury marked an unfortunate conclusion to a fight where Figueiredo aimed to regain momentum. The loss to Sandhagen was his second consecutive defeat since moving up to the bantamweight division, following a streak of three straight wins.
While an exact return date is unclear, Davis stated that Figueiredo is eager to return to action once his knee is healed and anticipates getting back into his routine quickly.
