Jussier ‘Formiga’ Demands Title Fight Following Fourth Straight Win at UFC Nashville

Jussier da Silva has been on a roll lately and he believes it’s time to cash in on a world title shot.

Da Silva has won four in a row – two by submission – and he hasn’t been beating up on weak opposition, either. He toppled Sergio Pettis in October and in one of the featured bouts of UFC Fight Night 148 on Saturday in Nashville, he dominated fellow Brazilian Deiveson Figueiredo. An unbeaten knockout machine with a ton of hype behind him, Figueiredo was reduced to a tackling dummy and had to defend countless submissions.

In short, “Formiga” made Figueiredo look like an amateur for 15 grueling minutes, but that didn’t surprise him one bit.

“Everyone knows about my jiu-jitsu, and I knew I would have that advantage over him,” he said after his win. “The strategy was to wear him out and take away some of his power. I’ve been getting better with my wrestling and striking and mixing it all together. I’m still improving every day and I’m ready to be champ.”

After witnessing him pulverize Figueiredo for three rounds and being the UFC’s top-rated flyweight, it goes without saying that he’s ready to be champ.

“I have to fight (Henry) Cejudo next,” he declared, referring to the reigning champion at 125 pounds. “There is no one else. I’m the No. 1 ranked guy and I just won again.”

Cejudo is fresh off a 32-seocnd drubbing of then-UFC bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw in January. “The Messenger” has become a hot commodity as of late after putting an end to Demetrious Johnson’s amazing 13-fight winning streak and then demolishing the larger Dillashaw.

Da Silva isn’t fond of having to wait around for Cejudo, who was unaware of UFC president Dana White’s plans for him and Cejudo. White explained during the ESPN+ post-fight show that he wants Cejudo to fight Marlon Moraes for the 135-pound title that Dillashaw vacated last week, with “Formiga” squaring off against Joseph Benavidez on the same card. If either Cejudo or Moraes pulls out of the fight for any reason, White said, either Da Silva or Benavidez can step up and get a crack at the title.

Either way, “Formiga” is in a good spot and could find himself in a title bout before he knows it.