Francisco Figueiredo

Francisco Nazareno da Costa Figueiredo Junior (born October 23, 1989) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the younger brother of the two-time and former UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo.

Background Figueiredo was born in Soure, Pará, Brazil, a small city on the isle of Marajó where buffaloes roam freely. His father was a buffalo herder who practiced luta marajoara, a local folk wrestling style. He was the first brother to move to Belém to attend high school and started training in capoeira at the age of 13. He worked as a bartender and assistant in a sushi kitchen before concentrating full time on his fight career.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career Starting his professional career in 2009, he compiled up a professional MMA record of 11-3-1 (1), over a decade on the Brazilian regional scene, most notably making a name fighting for Jungle Fight promotion. After winning the Jungle Fight Interim Bantamweight Championship at Jungle Fight 93 against Manoel dos Santos, at Jungle Fight 95 he fought to a draw in a title unification bout with Eduardo Souza at Jungle Fight 95. Figueiredo was scheduled to appear at Jungle Fight 103 against Klinger Pinheiro, the reigning bantamweight champion, but the event was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ultimate Fighting Championship Figueiredo made his UFC debut against Jerome Rivera at UFC on ESPN: Chiesa vs. Magny on January 20, 2021. He won the bout via unanimous decision.

In his sophomore performance, Figueiredo faced Malcolm Gordon on July 17, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 26. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Figueiredo was scheduled to face Jake Hadley on March 19, 2022, at UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall. However, Figueiredo withdrew from the event due to undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Allan Nascimento.

Figueiredo faced Daniel da Silva on April 30, 2022, at UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Vera. He won the fight via kneebar submission in the first round. This win earned him his first Performance of the Night bonus award.

Figueiredo faced Amir Albazi on August 20, 2022, at UFC 278. He lost the bout via rear-naked choke at the end of first round.

On August, it was announced that Figueiredo was not longer in the UFC roster.

Championships and accomplishments Jungle Fight Championship Jungle Fight Interim Bantamweight Championship (One time) Ultimate Fighting Championship Performance of the Night (One time) (vs. Daniel Lacerda)