Sean O'Malley questions Deiveson Figueiredo's motivation to fight

Sean O'Malley has questioned Deiveson Figueiredo's desire to continue fighting. The former UFC bantamweight champion discussed the Brazilian's upcoming matchup with Payton Talbott and admitted that he is sometimes unsure whether Figueiredo still wants to be inside the Octagon.

Figueiredo is set to face Talbott at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 3, looking to snap a two-fight losing streak. O'Malley believes the matchup could be entertaining but questioned how much Figueiredo still has left in his career.

Sean O'Malley Likes Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Payton Talbott

Figueiredo has struggled to find consistency since losing the flyweight title to Brandon Moreno and moving up to bantamweight. Although the Brazilian won in his first three fights in the division against Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt and Marlon Vera, Figueiredo has gone 1-4 inside the Octagon since November 2024. Most recently, the former flyweight champion was submitted by Song Yadong in May.

Despite Figueiredo's recent setbacks, O'Malley believes the Brazilian remains a threat. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former champion also praised Talbott's potential and his ability to attract attention with his performances.

"Figueiredo-Talbott, that's actually a fun fight," O'Malley said. "Payton Talbott has got some serious potential to rise in the rankings and be one of these guys. For whatever it is, people kind of want to tune in to watch his fights. He's fun. He put on a beautiful performance against Henry. It's been a while, but he looked good. He beat the f*ck out of Henry."

Sean O'Malley Questions Deiveson Figueiredo's Motivation

O'Malley then turned his attention to Figueiredo's recent performances. The former champion admitted that he has sometimes questioned whether the Brazilian still has the same desire to compete. In any case, O'Malley also acknowledged that Figueiredo remains dangerous.

"Figueiredo, is he on a two-fight losing streak?" O'Malley said. "Because he lost to Song, and he lost to Umar. Every time I watch Deiveson Figueiredo, I never know. I'm like, does he look like he really wants to be in there? I don't know. He's still dangerous but not for long."

Figueiredo will look to get back to winning ways when he faces Talbott at UFC 332 on Oct. 3.