The UFC flyweight champion never hid his disapproval of a potential interim title in his division, but the promotion went ahead and did it anyway.
Having defeated Brandon Moreno just last January, Deiveson Figueiredo went on record saying a temporary belt would be uncalled for in the next months. Needless to say, the champion was upset to see that the UFC announced an interim title match between the aforementioned Moreno and rising contender Kai Kara-France for July.
In an interview with Combate, a disgruntled Figueiredo did not acknowledge the interim belt’s legitimacy, calling it a joke and fake.