Deiveson Figueiredo got back on track with a split decision win over Montel Jackson in a co-main event at UFC Rio that failed to provide many thrills or chills.
The former flyweight champion primarily relied on his grappling to ground Jackson and keep the long, rangy striker from really building any kind of momentum. While it seemed like a clear cut decision for Figueiredo based on the first couple of rounds, the judges still made him sweat with two scorecards coming back 29-28 for the Brazilian and the third going for Jackson with that same 29-28.
Still that was enough for Figueiredo to get the nod as he returns to the win column after falling to Cory Sandhagen in his previous outing.
“This is what it’s about,” Figueiredo said to the Brazilian crowd. “We pour our blood in here for your entertainment. There’s a lot of people online wishing me harm. I want to fight Merab [Dvalishvili]. But I know I have to work hard to get there.”
Some rapid-fire punches from the outside set the tone for Jackson early but Figueiredo countered with a well-timed takedown to bring the fight to the canvas. Jackson scrambled as Figueiredo looked for submissions but ultimately the bantamweights ended up back on the feet again.
Jackson wasn’t producing much offense unless Figueiredo was engaging, which slowed the action down considerably. Figueiredo did manage a final burst at the end of the first round when he connected with a hard right hook that had Jackson stumbling backwards.
On the restart, Figueiredo immediately dove for another takedown but this time he jumped into the mount before looking for the arm-triangle choke. Jackson defended effectively but still found Figueiredo on his back.
Once again, Jackson broke free to restart on his feet but he just wasn’t active enough to really threaten Figueiredo, who was content with a similar output.
Nursing a lead through two rounds, Figueiredo didn’t seem to be in dire need to make something happen as he continued circling on the outside while Jackson remained coiled and ready to strike but never really unleashing anything. A final flurry resulted in Figueiredo actually diving for a leg as time ran out on a lackluster co-main event.
While it wasn’t exactly the barnburner many expected, Figueiredo got the nod while Jackson came up short in his best opportunity to take a big step forward in the bantamweight division.
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