Figueiredo takes full UFC 332 camp to Thailand to revive career against Talbott

Deiveson Figueiredo has turned what was meant to be a personal training holiday in Thailand into a full fight camp ahead of his bantamweight clash with Payton Talbott at UFC 332 on October 3 in Salt Lake City. The former UFC flyweight champion, who has lost four of his last five bouts, is using the unconventional setup to rebuild his game from the ground up.

Figueiredo told Sherdog that the Thailand trip was originally planned as a month-long personal project — a chance to train muay thai and experience the country he had long wanted to visit — before the UFC offered him the Talbott matchup mid-trip.

“Actually, I came here to spend a month sharpening my muay thai and experiencing Thailand, which had been a longtime dream of mine,” Figueiredo said. “When I got here, the UFC offered me this fight, so I decided to do my entire camp here.”

Based at Phuket Fight Club, Figueiredo worked his striking under head coach Leo Elias while also drilling grappling alongside wrestlers from Chechnya, Dagestan, and Uzbekistan.

“Elias is everything people say he is,” Figueiredo said. “We worked a lot on striking volume. I also got a lot of help from fighters from Chechnya, Dagestan and Uzbekistan when it came to grappling. I was able to learn a lot from them.”

The Brazilian, nicknamed “Deus Da Guerra” (God of War), said the camp has left him confident he can neutralise Talbott regardless of where the fight is contested.

“I always look to mix things up,” he said. “What I can say is that I’m ready to neutralize Talbott’s game, wherever the fight takes place.”

Figueiredo, a two-time flyweight champion who made six title defences across two reigns, moved up to bantamweight in 2023. The fight against the unbeaten Talbott represents a significant test of whether the camp overhaul can reverse his recent slide.