Deiveson Figueiredo reveals '30-hour nightmare' that almost cancelled his UFC 256 title fight

Deiveson Figueiredo had a 'Fight of the Year' contender against Brandon Moreno in the main event of UFC 256. However, the fight was close to not happening.

Both Figueiredo and Moreno were turning around just three weeks after fighting, and after the champ made weight, his rehydration did not go well. He ended up in the hospital and at one point, he thought the fight was off.

Manager @WallidJfc describes the "30 hour nightmare" ⁠— including two trips to the hospital — that nearly forced @Daico_Deiveson out of his #UFC256 title fight. pic.twitter.com/Ydc5PfThKJ

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 15, 2020

"It was 30 hours of nightmare," said Figueiredo's manager, Wallid Ismail to ESPN. "When he ate the soup, everything fell apart. He threw up a little bit and it started the nightmare. We get out from there, we go direct to the hospital."

According to his manager, Deiveson Figueiredo was in the hospital from 2:30 am to 6:30 on the morning of the fight. It even got serious enough that Ismail called the UFC to tell them the fight was likely off.

"His belly's that size," Ismail said. "Everybody was like, 'He's not going to fight.' I called the UFC and said, 'Hey man, the guy is really bad right now.' We get to the hospital at 2:30 a.m. [local time], unbelievable. He said he could feel a lot of pain. I said, 'The fight is gone.'"

Despite being hospitalized, Figueiredo told his manager he planned to fight and that he was ready to go to war.

"He looked to me, 'Yes, I'm going to do it,'" Ismail said. "Now he's going to fight. The mindset of everybody is war, we're going to war."

What's next for Deiveson Figueiredo after UFC 256?

With Deiveson Figueiredo able to fight, he told his team he needed to finish Brandon Moreno quickly or the fight would not go well for him.

Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno is ruled a majority draw at #UFC256Figueiredo retains his flyweight title 🏆 @espnmma pic.twitter.com/sVfarXfsik

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 13, 2020

"My feeling in the locker room, was like an animal, furious, like a tiger," Figueiredo said. "My mindset was to knock out the guy. ... But unfortunately, [I] cannot do it."

Now, following the fight, which was declared a draw due to a point being deducted, Figueiredo is anticipating a rematch. He says he hopes the fight can happen in June as he wants a couple months off after fighting twice in under a month. When he rematches Moreno, Figueiredo is confident he will finish him at full health.

After 25 minutes of carnage Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno embrace in respect.This is what MMA is all about. What a fight!#UFC256 pic.twitter.com/8gcnghzScu

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) December 13, 2020

"If I'm not sick, I knock out him or submit him in the first round, that's a promise," Figueiredo concluded. "I'm much more stronger, I'm much more faster."

For now, Figueiredo is healing up after his fight and will get back to training in 2021.