To see the depth of the UFC 300 fight card, one needed only look at the first time on the early prelims, where former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt was set to face two-time former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Figueiredo was able to make a statement in the fight, securing a rear-naked choke for a second-round submission victory.
Figueiredo, fighting at bantamweight for the second time since jumping up from his longtime home of flyweight, was able to sting Garbrandt with calf kicks early in the fight. Garbrandt looked to time counter punches but was not able to connect with much of anything meaningful in the opening round.
Garbrandt did find his footing in the second round, finding more success with his left hook and forcing Figueiredo into a takedown attempt. Once the fight hit the floor, it was basically over for the American, who was able to survive an arm-triangle choke attempt but had his back taken before Figueiredo sunk in the rear-naked choke for the victory.
DEIVESON FIGUEIREDO FORCES THE TAP ON CODY GARBRANDT TO KICK OFF #UFC300 😤 pic.twitter.com/RLfZPojHIM
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 13, 2024
The finish came at the 4:02 mark of Round 2.
With the win, Figueiredo improved to 2-0 at bantamweight. Aside from a pair of losses to Brandon Moreno in flyweight title fights, Figueredo has been nearly unstoppable since early 2019.
Garbrandt had won back-to-back fights entering UFC 300, rebounding from a period in which he went 1-5 after winning the bantamweight championship.
