Deiveson Figueiredo handed $50,000 in CASH by Dana White after UFC president admits he ‘f***** up’ in snubbing flyweight champion for a bonus after UFC 255
- Deiveson Figueiredo stopped Alex Perez via submission on Saturday night
- The Brazilian defended his flyweight crown with another impressive stoppage
- However, unlike other winners on the night he was not rewarded with a bonus
- Yet UFC boss Dana White realised his mistake and gave him $50,000 in cash
UFC president Dana White has handed over a whopping $50,000 in cash to flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo after snubbing him of a deserved bonus after UFC 255.
Figueiredo stopped Alex Perez with a guillotine choke in the first round on Saturday night, defending his men’s 125-pound belt for the first time with another impressive stoppage.
After the event, the organisation handed out its customary post-fight bonuses but despite his explosive finish to the fight, Figueiredo did not receive an extra pay-packet – until now.
UFC president Dana White hands over $50,000 in cash to flyweight star Deiveson Figueiredo
Figueiredo was snubbed of a post-fight bonus from UFC 255 but White has realised his error
Filmed at a meeting at UFC headquarters with his manager Wallid Ismail, White, UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby and other executives, Figueiredo is handed a bag full of bank notes which total $50,000.
UFC supremo White, realising his error in not giving Figueiredo a bonus in the first place, admitted: ‘I f***** up!’
Figueiredo, now with a record of 20-1, earned his record-tying seventh stoppage victory in the 125-pound division by clamping onto Perez’s neck out of a scramble at 1:57 in the opening round on Saturday.
White admitted his error in not handing the Brazilian a bonus by joking: ‘I f***** up!’
Figueiredo celebrates his submission victory over Alex Perez in their flyweight fight
Perez, who is now 24-6, had nearly taken Figueiredo’s back an instant before the champ finished the entertaining fight with the flair and skill that have made him a rising mixed martial arts star in the UFC’s least popular weight class.
‘I came in here with no pressure,’ Figueiredo said after the event. ‘I know this is my belt. I know I’m going to be the champion for a long time.
‘I came here to do what I told everybody I’m going to do. I said to everybody, “I’m going to finish this fight in the first round.” And I finished the fight in the first round.’
Figueiredo claimed his title earlier this year with his second consecutive victory over Joseph Benavidez, finally ascending to the peak of a UFC division with only two previous champions.
Figueiredo of Brazil kicks Alex Perez in their flyweight championship bout during the UFC 255
Figueiredo defended his men’s 125-pound belt for first time with another impressive stoppage
Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson dominated the flyweight ranks for six years before Henry Cejudo dethroned him in 2018.
‘I came here to knock out, to submit everybody,’ Figueiredo said. ‘I want to dominate this division. I want to give a good show for the people.’
With 17 stoppages in his first 20 career victories, Figueiredo’s ability to finish his fights is unusual in the flyweight division.