Former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo entered UFC Des Moines with high expectations as he faced Cory Sandhagen in a pivotal bantamweight main event. But after a second-round TKO loss due to a knee injury, Figueiredo has come forward to reveal the significant health issues that hampered his preparation and performance leading up to the fight.
In an interview following the event, Figueiredo disclosed that his training camp was far from ideal. He suffered a dislocated jaw from a punch during sparring, which sidelined him for three weeks and forced him to avoid hard sparring for an entire month. Instead of his usual rigorous routine, Figueiredo was limited to positional drills and mitt work, focusing on maintaining fitness rather than sharpening his fighting edge. This jaw injury alone would have been a major obstacle for any fighter preparing for a high-stakes main event.
