"I'm not friends with any kind of traitor" - Deiveson Figueiredo on why he will not be friends with Brandon Moreno before fourth fight for the title

Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno have been at loggerheads since the two collided for the first time in 2020. The flyweight duo have now shared the octagon thrice and are gearing up to lock horns for the fourth time with undisputed UFC gold up for grabs.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Figueiredo labeled his Mexican counterpart a "traitor" and asserted that he has no intentions of being friendly with Moreno in the lead-up to their fourth meeting.

“I can’t be friends with him [Moreno], because he’s done something to me that’s unforgettable. Maybe we can be friends after the fight, but before this fight, just watch it, the war is about to begin.”

When asked to elaborate, the Brazilian champion added:

“I’m not friends with any kind of traitor, first thing he did was he betrayed Henry Cejudo. Henry opened his house to him and his family, they live with him, Cejudo, and then he went on to become Benavidez’s sparring partner, second is after he lost to me he abandoned his long-time coach for years, person that helped create him and he left him, so I’m never going to be friends with a traitor.”

Watch the full interview below:

Deiveson Figueiredo notably trained with former two-division champion Henry Cejudo ahead of his trilogy bout with Brandon Moreno earlier this year. In the lead-up to that fight at UFC 270, Figueiredo repeatedly called Moreno a "traitor" for allegedly training with Cejudo's rival Joseph Benavidez, despite having trained previously with 'Triple C'.

Figueiredo and Moreno are now 1-1-1 in their rivalry, with both flyweights holding one win apiece over each other. Their first encounter, a five-round barnburner at UFC 256, ended in a majority draw.

At UFC 277 this past weekend, Moreno defeated Kai Kara-France to win the interim title. 'The Assassin Baby' will take on Figueiredo for the undisputed title either later this year or in early 2023.

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Deiveson Figueiredo reviews Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France's performances at UFC 277

Deiveson Figueiredo was in attendance at UFC 277 and was keeping a watchful eye on the interim championship bout between Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France. Moreno came away with a third-round TKO victory on the night after overcoming some adversity earlier on in the same round.

In the same interview on The MMA Hour, Figueiredo had this to say about Moreno's performance:

"Brandon [Moreno] looked the same as he always has. He's never changed his game. It's always the same and I have the antidote for him."

When asked about Kai Kara-France, 'Deus da Guerra' said:

"I think [Kara-France] was doing everything he could to win, but I would like to see him with more blood in his eyes and impose his will a little bit more. I thought he could've pulled out the win had he done that."