Latest news with #Figueiredo
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Harimau look to Holgado, Figueiredo for more bite
KUALA LUMPUR: Toothless Harimau Malaya, looking for more bite, have implanted new fangs from abroad. The national team hope the inclusion of two new heritage strikers — Joao Figueiredo and Rodrigo Holgado — will sharpen their attack. Holgado and Figueiredo could be the answer to Malaysia's goal-scoring woes as the team prepare for a crucial Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on Tuesday. Both the Brazil-born Figueiredo and Argentina-born Holgado have proved to be lethal finishers. The 29-year-old Figueiredo has scored a total of 68 goals, including 12 this season for Basaksehir FK in the Turkish Super League. Holgado has also chalked up impressive numbers, recording 94 goals, with eight coming this season for America de Cali in the Colombian league. Team officials hope Figueiredo and Holgado can boost Harimau Malaya's strikeforce, which has long struggled with a lack of genuine forwards. Figueiredo dreams of taking Harimau Malaya to greater heights on the global stage. "To be able to represent Malaysia and share this dream with all of you — to go further in Asia and on the world stage — is truly an honour. "I can't wait to feel the support and love from the fans. It's something unique and extraordinary," said Figueiredo. Holgado, 29, said: "Since arriving here, I've fallen in love with the atmosphere and the country. Now I understand what it means to play for Malaysia."
Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Cory Sandhagen stops Deiveson Figueiredo in 2nd round
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen defeated Deiveson Figueiredo in unexpected fashion on Saturday night, forcing the former two-time flyweight champion to submit due to injury to his left knee after a leg lock gone wrong in Round 2. Round 1 of the top-five main event at UFC Fight Night was all Sandhagen. He took Figueiredo to the ground and overwhelmed him with strikes while not allowing Figueiredo to get comfortable. The fight was over at 4:08 of Round 2. Sandhagen (18-5 MMA) called for a title shot later this year, noting beating someone of Figueiredo's caliber greatly increases his credibility. Meanwhile, Figueiredo (24-5-1) goes back to the drawing board. "I want the winner," Sandhagen said, as he plans to keep tabs on the UFC 316 main event between bantamweights Merab Dvalishvilli and Sean O'Malley on June 7 in Newark, N.J. The co-main event saw former ONE Championship star Reinier de Ridder hand former Penn State wrestling standout Bo Nickal his first loss in MMA, earning a second-round TKO. Middleweight de Ridder (20-2) used a wide-ranging combination and a plethora of knees to finish Nickal (7-1) at 1:53. Welterweight Daniel Rodriguez got the last laugh over Santiago Ponzinibbio, earning a third-round KO in a back-and-forth affair that had spectators on their feet. Rodriguez (19-5) gave respect to Ponzinibbio (31-9) and is seeking to remain active for the rest of the year. Bantamweight Montel Jackson had little issue defeating Daniel Marcos, securing a unanimous decision by 30-27 on all three judges' scorecards. Jackson (15-2) handed Marcos his first loss in 18 fights, while Jackson has won six in a row and showcased a well-rounded skillset with constant pressure in Rounds 2 and 3. Bantamweight Serhiy Sidey won an underwhelming unanimous decision against Cameron Smotherman 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 in a wrestle-based bout. Sidey (12-2) has won his last two, while Smotherman (12-5) fell to 1-1 in the promotion. Lightweight Mason Jones opened the UFC Des Moines main card by spoiling the homecoming of Jeremy Stephens with a unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, to showers of boos from the Wells Fargo Arena crowd. Jones (16-2) controlled the center of the Octagon with effortless boxing and several submission attempts. Stephens (29-22) returned to the UFC for the first time since 2021 after bouncing around across different disciplines, including bare-knuckle boxing. It was the UFC's first trip back to Iowa since June 2000 when UFC 26 took center stage. The promotion will transition out of the Midwest for UFC 315 on May 10 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. --Zain Bando, Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
USA Today
06-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Deiveson Figueiredo details health issues before UFC on ESPN 67 headliner
Deiveson Figueiredo details health issues before UFC on ESPN 67 headliner Former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo said he entered the UFC on ESPN 67 main event affected by health problems. Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo says his health wasn't up to par entering the UFC on ESPN 67 main event against Cory Sandhagen. Figueiredo (24-5-1 MMA, 13-5-1 UFC) sought to return to the win column at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, but tapped out due to a leg injury caused by Sandhagen (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) during a grappling exchange in the second round of the bantamweight headliner. "Deus Da Guerra" has revealed that his preparation and performance were affected by a pair of health issues: a jaw injury during camp prevented the former champion from properly training, and a bacterial infection required antibiotics during fight week, Figueiredo said in an interview with Ag Fight. 'I wasn't 100% (at the time of the fight)," Figuredo said in Portuguese (translated by Ag Fight). "Let me be clear, I was out of action for three weeks. I got hit in the jaw with a straight punch and my jaw dislocated. That prevented me from doing any serious sparring for a month. So, I was doing positions, doing mitt movements, to burn calories, to avoid being inactive. "And towards the end, during the trip, I got some scratches defending a takedown, I didn't take proper care of them, and it got infected. I traveled on Saturday night at 2 a.m. with a high fever. I had a fever on Sunday, I had a fever on Monday and on Tuesday – the week of the fight – I still had a fever in the morning. I have a bacteria in my leg, I'm still taking antibiotics – the bacteria that caused the fever – and where you press with your finger, there's a hole in my leg." The fight against Sandhagen was Figueiredo's first appearance of the year, and one that was important for title considerations. Despite being compromised by health issues, Figueiredo said his financial obligations were too important to pass up a main event payday. Combined with encouragement from his family and friends, the 37-year-old Brazilian fighter decided to compete. The fight's result places Figueiredo on a two-fight skid, which he has no regrets about. The former champ hopes that by not pulling out of the fight, he will remain in good graces with the UFC. "I'm still among the top five, let's see what the UFC will give me next," Figueiredo said. "My manager is already in contact with them. Even though I was sick and couldn't fight, I fought to avoid losing the main event. So, I really hope the UFC gives me another good fight."
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cory Sandhagen not interested in being UFC 316's backup fighter: 'It's a really bad deal'
Cory Sandhagen couldn't have performed much better than he did at UFC Des Moines this past Saturday. As UFC returned to Iowa for the first time in 25 years, Sandhagen made sure to send fans home happy with his main-event bout against former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo. Sandhagen poured on his typically versatile offense from the opening horn, dominated every position on the ground, then reversed a 50-50 guard to injure Figueiredo's knee and earn the second-round stoppage with follow-up punches. Advertisement Although Sandhagen entered the fight off a tough unanimous decision loss to Umar Nurmagomedov, his surprisingly dominant effort was exactly what he anticipated. "I thought I was going to for sure win," Sandhagen said Monday on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I definitely believed in my skills a lot to beat Figueiredo. I also allowed myself to be a lot more confident than I ever have in the past. That was one of the first things that [coach] Trevor [Whittman] started planting seeds in my head. He wasn't like, 'Hey Cory, you need to start being more confident.' It was more of like, 'Hey man, when you say things, say things with confidence.' So Trevor kind of has been planting a lot of seeds. "Trevor's really good about turning people into champions, like from the inside out. He's definitely super knowledgeable, but that part doesn't really go unnoticed to me. He's really good at that, so I kind of just let myself be a lot more confident in this one. So I did think I was going to beat him pretty handily, but also, at the same time, I've seen really crappy stuff happen to people in this sport, and fighters lose when they were better than the other person, so I always kind of had an edge of it. But I thought the fight was going to go pretty much exactly how it did." If one thing caught Sandhagen off guard, it was the amount of grappling he and Figueiredo engaged in. Known mostly for his striking, Sandhagen has proven capable on the ground, but less savvy than on his feet. You may not have known that, though, had Saturday's fight been your first time watching "The Sandman." Advertisement "I didn't really think that there would be that much grappling in it," Sandhagen said. "But there was because 'Figgy' was kind of shooting on me a lot. He was giving me reversals, so what am I going to do? Not take them? So yeah, I thought that I was going to dominate. I said that a lot, and I think I said that I was going to finish him too. "The entire plan was to finish him and look better against him than [Petr] Yan did so that I could call my shot and have it not be Yan. That's what I did." Sandhagen has put himself at the forefront of the bantamweight contenders queue, all of whom await the winner of the upcoming title rematch between champion Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley at UFC 316 on June 7. In his post-fight interview at UFC Des Moines, Sandhagen made it clear that a title fight is his next target. So what about serving as the backup fighter for Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley, as Ian Machado Garry is doing for the welterweight title bout at UFC 315 this coming Saturday? Advertisement Sandhagen would consider it, of course, but admittedly it's not his best-case scenario. Aside from himself, Yan is the only person Sandhagen sees on a similar path to a bantamweight title shot. "After talking to some people about it, I think I just try to be a little bit of a try-hard," Sandhagen said of his willingness to be a backup fighter. "That's what got me this far in the sport. Doing stuff that sucks that other people aren't willing to do. But I also think that I'm in a position now that I've earned [a title fight], and the backup fighter is really not a good deal for the backup fighter. You've got to prepare for two guys on a whim, that you might get it, and you might take it the day of. "It's a really bad deal that I feel like I have earned the right to not have to do. At the same time, I will be staying pretty sharp these next couple weeks in case something does happen or whatever. "I'll definitely be at the show," Sandhagen added, "but I think that I've certainly earned my shot at the title. Especially being that Umar just fought for the belt. The only other guy is Yan, and I hate to be a politician and have to shoot down someone else to put me up a little bit, but Yan has lost to both of them (Dvalishvili and O'Malley), and he went five rounds with 'Figgy' in a really competitive fight. I went a round and a half with 'Figgy' in a really uncompetitive, one-sided fight that I won and that I finished. So I think that I'm the next guy, no doubt." Advertisement Sandhagen and Yan previously fought in October 2021, putting on one of the better bouts of that year. Ultimately, Yan walked away victorious to claim interim gold that night, and the two have had mixed results in their journeys since. A rematch against Yan is a viable option that Sandhagen is more than willing to accept — he just wants to see how things unfold in the upcoming title tilt first. Should Dvalishvili drop the title to O'Malley, he doesn't expect the UFC to make a trilogy, increasing his likelihood of finally fighting O'Malley. "I think that I've definitely done everything that I needed to do to put myself in the best situation," he said. "But I do think a lot of people are calling for that fight — I think if O'Malley wins, a lot of [fans] are going to be asking for me and O'Malley. So that will be something that I'm certainly anticipating. "I think when it comes down to it, probably after this one, logistically I'm the most deserving — but also, I think on-paper, what's going to do better for sales and who's going to get more viewership, me and O'Malley and me and Merab is going to do way better than the only other guy in the conversation, who is Yan. Yan already lost to O'Malley and he already lost to Merab. I'm coming off of a win a month before the title shot. I don't really see how you can't choose me."
USA Today
04-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Cory Sandhagen's win in Des Moines over Deiveson Figueiredo fuels bantamweight title quest
Cory Sandhagen's win in Des Moines over Deiveson Figueiredo fuels bantamweight title quest Show Caption Hide Caption UFC's Cory Sandhagen on win over Deiveson Figueiredo in Des Moines Cory Sandhagen earned a TKO win by knee injury over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Fight Night at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on May 3. Decked out in white and blue Venum fight shorts, Cory Sandhagen laid on the octagon canvas with his leg locked around Deiveson Figueiredo's left knee at UFC Fight Night in Des Moines. In round two of the main event, the two bantamweights were in a battle for a leg lock on the ground. Like a clamp, Sandhagen tightened a firm hold on Figueiredo's leg. To break the grip, Figueiredo shifted to his right, but his knee suddenly popped. Sandhagen swept in with a barrage of punches to secure a TKO win due to an injury at Wells Fargo Arena on May 3. 'You're not going to beat me at leglocks ever,' Sandhagen said during the post-fight press conference. 'You can attack my legs all you want. Those are very technical spots, I'm very good at those spots … at no point was I in danger.' More: Full results, analysis of UFC Fight Night in Des Moines, Sandhagen vs Figueiredo With a victory over a two-time flyweight champion and top bantamweight contender in Figueiredo, Sandhagen cleared a path to a potential title shot. The idea of fighting for a world title isn't far-fetched for the Aurora, Colorado, native. In fact, it makes total sense. 'Me and my agency are going to talk to (the UFC) to see what's kind of next; I think I deserve a title shot next regardless,' Sandhagen said. '(Figueiredo), I think maybe, hit me one time so I showed that I'm better. I showed that I'm the best guy and I deserve to be next.' Sandhagen's resume makes a strong case for a title opportunity. His win in Des Moines moved him into a tie for the fifth-most finishes in UFC bantamweight history, with six. Sandhagen, whose dad is from Manchester, Iowa, also took home a $50,000 performance bonus. He's won four of his last five fights. He earned three straight wins over Song Yadong, Marlon Vera and Rob Font before he fell to Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision in August 2024. Nine months later, Sandhagen has once again distinguished himself as a prime candidate for UFC gold. Sandhagen said that he is willing to wait for the winner of UFC's upcoming bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley on June 7. While that story is currently unwritten, Sandhagen's self-belief is undeniable. It mirrors the type of grit he possesses each time he steps into the octagon. Currently the No. 4 ranked UFC bantamweight, he's a scrapper willing to engage in a war with the division's best whether it's on the ground or on the feet. A UFC title remains the one prize that the 33-year-old has yet to add to his resume. His win in Des Moines has inched him one step closer to that dream. Marc Ray is the high school sports reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. He can be reached at MARay@ and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
