PHOENIX – Zhang Weili and Deiveson Figueiredo are determined to regain the UFC titles they lost by stoppage in their most recent outings.
In order to ensure that happens, both ex-titleholders have made a big change by moving their training camps to Phoenix’s Fight Ready MMA.
Weili (21-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who will attempt o regain the UFC strawweight belt from Rose Namajunas (10-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in their rematch at UFC 268 on Nov. 6, typically trains in her native China. Figueiredo (20-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC), who meets Brandon Moreno (19-5-2 MMA, 7-2-2 UFC) in a flyweight trilogy bout at UFC 270 on Jan. 22, does the same out of his native Brazil.
They’ve both shifted stateside for their upcoming fights, though, largely due to the recruiting of former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo. Fight Ready MMA striking coach Eddie Cha gave “Triple C” lots of credit for aligning the stars, and he said Weili and Figueiredo have both been excellent fits on the team thus far.
“Zhang Weili’s been great – Deiveson Figueiredo’s been out as well,” Cha told MMA Junkie. “She has two weeks left out of an eight week camp. She works so hard. Almost too hard we have to kind of pull her back and says, ‘We’re done for the day.’ She’s an absolute treasure. Just started working with Deiveson Figueiredo. He’s awesome as well. Just a class act. Works super hard. Super strong. Sometimes I forget he’s a ’25er. He feels like a ’35er and I’m excited for both those fights.”
To hear more from Cha on Weili, Figueiredo, Cejudo and other members of the team, check out his video interview above with MMA Junkie’s Nolan King.