Intensely focused every time he enters the cage, Figueiredo fights with a coiled aggression, walking forward, coiled tight, always ready to uncork the kind of quick and powerful punches that have shot Marco Beltran, Joseph Morales and John Moraga as he began to climb the ranks of flies. .
There is ferocity for him – a look in his eyes that mirrors that of a hungry jungle cat stalking his prey – and a conduct different from that of many of his contemporaries.
Because fighting in the UFC and competing for gold at the championship this weekend is not only an opportunity to break through a major achievement on your professional “bucket list”, but rather a chance to make an impact. on the life of his family while making a global statement on persistence and hard work, as well as the importance of inclusion and representation.
“I am fighting for my family, my children,” began Figueiredo, the clarity that stained his voice when he spoke of Benavidez and the fight itself replaced by a calmer and more emotional tone. “I am hungry and when you fight for your family, you are a giant.
“It will show the world how important MMA is and the UFC is for inclusion. People have to understand that I grew up on a farm on an island, not in the town of Soure. I grew up on a small farm until I was 12 years old.
“I want to make everyone proud of the city, the country and the world,” he added. “If a guy from a farm in the north of the country can do it, anyone can do it.”