Deiveson Figueiredo didn’t just capture the UFC Flyweight Championship in 2020, but he defended it in style.
The 33-year-old started the year with back-to-back wins against Joseph Benavidez, with the latter victory resulting in him claiming the flyweight title. In November, Figueiredo submitted Alex Perez in just under two minutes to defend his belt for the first time. And he was back in the cage just three weeks later, where he battled Brandon Moreno for five rounds in what was our runner-up for “Fight of the Year.”
Figueiredo didn’t win that night at UFC 256, but he didn’t lose, either. A point deduction resulted in him retaining his title via majority draw but that was still enough for Figueiredo to earn top honors from four of the six members here at The Body Lock.
Kevin Holland was a close second for Male Fighter of the Year with two first-place votes and two second-place votes. Other notable contenders for 2020 Male Fighter of the Year included Jan Blachowicz, Charles Oliveira, and Khamzat Chimaev.
Full results for The Body Lock’s 2020 Male MMA Fighter of the Year award:
- Deiveson Figueiredo (14)
- Kevin Holland (12)
- Jan Blachowicz (7)
- Charles Oliveira (2)
- Khamzat Chimaev (1)
In a video posted to The Body Lock’s YouTube channel, Patrick Auger, Matthew Wells, and Drake Riggs revealed their votes for The Body Lock’s 2020 Male MMA Fighter of the Year award:
- Auger voted Figueiredo (#1), Blachowicz (#2), and Holland (#3).
- Wells voted Figueiredo (#1), Holland (#2), and Oliveira (#3).
- Riggs voted Holland (#1), Blachowicz (#2), and Oliveira (#3).
Did Deiveson Figueiredo do enough to win Male Fighter of the Year in your eyes? Or do you agree with Riggs, who believes that a fighter needs to win every fight if they want to be considered for the award?
We’d love to see your opinion in the comments section below!
