In a dramatic fight, Deiveson Figueiredo ties with Brandon Moreno and takes the belt | combat

– I am the champion, I felt champion in all rounds. Last night I had an intestinal infection, I was in the hospital until 2 am and I did not know if I would fight. But I came here, gave blood, sweat and tears and came out with the belt. The referee did his part, the kick caught in his lower region even though I didn’t want to. Then I went for the beating. People are used to seeing me win in the first round, and today I fought all five rounds and had a good performance. If you want to do the rematch, I’ll make the right pitch to neutralize his game. I had to gain weight in 21 days, but if you want a new fight, I’m here. Now I want to rest, see my family, because the machine needs time – said Figueiredo after the fight.

The first round started with a round shot from Deiveson Figueiredo, who scraped past Moreno’s body. The Brazilian tried to overthrow the Mexican, who defended him and caught him on the grid. Moreno played shots taking advantage of the champion’s low guard, who showed his dodge on the day, avoiding being hit. Figueiredo landed left and right punches, but the Mexican absorbed and returned with jabs. The champion controlled the distance well and attacked with confidence, but Moreno showed good boxing, defending well and countering with jabs and high kick attempts. The assault ended with the two athletes exchanging blows next to the grid.

The second round brought Moreno more confident and Deiveson looking for kicks to the waist and legs. The Mexican moved well and delivered dangerous blows, which went through shaving the Brazilian’s head. The champion was even knocked down, and was down, with the challenger on guard. The two got up and began to exchange blows in the center of the octagon. Figueiredo showed greater precision, but the Mexican also hit good shots, which were absorbed by the Brazilian. After another good blow that shook Moreno, Deiveson went after his rival, but was finally brought down by him, who was looking to recover.

The return to the third round showed that Moreno had a wound to his right eye. Figueiredo tried a shot, but the champion grabbed his leg. The Mexican, however, struck two good shots. The fight was more balanced than expected, with the challenger showing efficiency in movement and boxing, which made the champion unable to prevail as expected. An illegal kick from Deiveson to Moreno’s genital area stopped the fight for a few minutes. Before the dispute resumed, referee Jason Herzog took a point from the Brazilian. As soon as the fight started again, the champion went to the grab fight, hitting the challenger, who quickly got up.

The champion started the fourth round with a flying knee, deflected by Brandon Moreno. The Mexican landed two good shots at Deiveson Figueiredo, taking advantage of his low guard. The challenger landed another takedown on the grid and the Brazilian was on his feet almost immediately, landing a left punch to the face of his rival. Moreno got a great straight sequence that shook the champion. Keeping his guard down, Deiveson took more hits and was brought down by the Mexican. The Brazilian showed signs of fatigue, and of having felt the punishment a lot at the end of the round.

The fifth and final round showed the champion seemingly recovered, betting on high kicks to keep the challenger at bay. Moreno walked in the direction of Figueiredo, who moved avoiding direct confrontation. The two fighters avoided taking risks and attacked with the clear impression that they just wanted to score. In the final seconds, the Mexican caught Deiveson on the grid, but the Brazilian managed to topple his rival, ending the fight from above, beating the Mexican to the finish.

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