Former Champ Deiveson Figueiredo Embraces Massive Underdog Role Ahead of UFC 324: “I want to mess up the sportsbooks on this one.”
Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo heads into UFC 324 this Saturday as one of the biggest underdogs on the entire card, facing top-ranked bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov in the featured prelim bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Deiveson Figueiredo Motivated by Underdog Position At UFC 324
The betting odds tell a stark story. Figueiredo sits at +850, with some books listing him as high as +950, while Nurmagomedov opens as a -1450 favorite. The gap reflects a nine-to-one underdog status for the 37-year-old Brazilian, who captured flyweight gold twice during a historic four-fight series with Brandon Moreno from 2020 to 2023. Play more numbers at Novig odds.
Rather than viewing the lopsided odds as disrespect, Figueiredo told reporters at the UFC 324 media day that he draws motivation from his underdog position.
“The betting lines say I’m a nine-to-one underdog. A guy who was champion, who did what I did, and they say I’m that big of an underdog. I don’t take it as disrespect; I take it as motivation. It’s an incentive to go in there and break the bank one more time, since I’m the underdog. I just want to mess up the sportsbooks on this one. I’ll go out there and make a lot of people mistaken,” Figueiredo said.
Figueiredo (25-5-1) defended the flyweight title twice during his championship reign, submitting Alex Perez in under two minutes at UFC 255 before engaging in an instant-classic quadrilogy with Moreno. Since moving to bantamweight in late 2023, the former champion has posted a 4-2 record at 135 pounds, with wins over Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon Vera.
The odds reflect recent struggles. Figueiredo dropped consecutive fights to Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen before rebounding with a split decision over Montel Jackson in October. That October victory came after Figueiredo survived a serious car crash in Brazil, emerging uninjured despite totaling his vehicle.
Nurmagomedov (19-1) represents a different challenge. The 29-year-old Dagestani fighter holds the No. 2 ranking in the bantamweight division after his only career loss came to champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311 earlier this month. His wrestling pedigree and well-rounded skill set make him a tough matchup for anyone at 135 pounds.
The fight serves as the featured prelim for UFC 324, which marks the debut of the UFC’s new broadcast partnership with Paramount+. The main card features Justin Gaethje versus Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title.
For Figueiredo, the opportunity to shock the betting markets adds another layer of motivation to an already high-stakes bout with title implications on the line.
