Former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo won’t be fighting Manel Kape at UFC 290 on July 8th in Las Vegas after all as he’s now pulled out of the match-up due to still having vision issues related to an eye injury he suffered in his last bout against Brandon Moreno.
“I’m still injured,” Figueiredo told Trocação Franca. “I asked for a fight, told my manager I wanted to fight already, but when he gave me the fight and I talked to my physical therapist and my ophthalmologist, [they said] my eyesight is still not 100 percent. There are days I see things normal, but there are days it’s not OK, especially the days after I train, so they decided I had to go the full six-month [medical suspension] the ophthalmologist gave me [after UFC 283].”
Figueiredo also expressed his dissatisfaction with the match-up he’d been given against the No.9 ranked Kape, who is currently on a three-fight winning streak in the division.
“I admit I didn’t understand it,” Figueiredo said. “The UFC threw me the No. 9 ranked flyweight, and I don’t understand it, given I’m the No. 1. I hope to fight one of the top-5 [flyweights]. I’m in no hurry to recover from my injury. I talked to my manager and asked him to ask the UFC to give me someone in the top 5 and let everybody else fight.”
As for who he’d like to fight when he’s back to full fitness, Figueiredo suggested either the No.3 ranked Kai Kara-France or No.4 placed Brandon Royval as potential options.
“Kai Kara-France is someone I want to fight but unfortunately he has a fight booked now,” Figueiredo said. “And there’s also the guy that knocked out Matheus Nicolau [Brandon Royval], another great guy to fight me. I hope the UFC gives me one of those guys to fight me. I think I deserve it. I’m not asking for a title shot, I’m asking for someone in the top 5.”
At this stage it’s not clear if the UFC will keep Kape on the UFC 290 card against a new opponent, but they still have plenty of time to arrange it if they do, with the show during International Fight Week in Las Vegas still being several months away.
