This has the potential to be a great fight. Both of these fighters are elite and I think the move to bantamweight was the right call for Figueiredo. He depleted himself far too much to make flyweight towards the end of his time in that division and he has looked to have a better gas tank since moving up ten pounds. There is nothing that Petr Yan doesn’t do well. He is going to have to be on point to hand Figueiredo his first loss at bantamweight but he is also the best fighter that Figueiredo has faced in the new weight class. I think this one goes the distance, Yan is too defensively sound to get finished. Figueiredo will push the action from the start, to his detriment. The best strikes will be landed as counter punches by Petr Yan. At the end of five rounds, Yan will have done the better work and he will get his hand raised.

Yan (17-5) is breathing life back into his once-prosperous career. Yan won his first seven UFC fights, culminating in winning the UFC bantamweight title. It collapsed soon after. Yan lost the title to Aljamain Sterling via disqualification and — after a short detour beating Cory Sandhagen for the interim title — lost the rematch he was expected to win. Losses to Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili followed. Yan finds minimal comfort in losing to three UFC champions but is rejuvenated by his bounce-back win against Song Yadong in March. “I showed that I didn’t give up when most people would,” Yan told CBS Sports through an interpreter. “That’s my mentality. That’s where my mind is. Looking at our division, I believe I can beat all these guys.” Yan must defeat Figueiredo to maintain his No. 3 spot in the UFC’s official bantamweight rankings. He will be a sizable favorite in the betting odds when he steps inside the Octagon to do so. Reigning champion Dvalishvili previously told CBS Sports Figueiredo most deserves a title shot, high praise Yan plans to steal.

Figueiredo (24-3-1) is emboldened by the belief he has nothing to prove. He’s not worried about legacy as he closes in on potentially becoming a rare two-division champion. The two-time UFC flyweight champion is a perfect 3-0 since moving up to the bantamweight division in December. Yan claimed Figueiredo faced mid-level competition at 135 pounds. Figueiredo encourages Yan to prove his point. “Everybody wanted to welcome me to the division,” Figueiredo told CBS Sports through an interpreter. “Rob Font said he wanted to welcome me. I went out there and thanked him for the welcome. Then it was Cody Garbrandt who said he’d show me what the division was about. I went out there and thanked him by showing him things. Then Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera said he’d kick my ass. I went out there and kicked his ass. I see a lot of self-confidence, but I can’t wait for the opportunity to thank Yan for the welcome he’s giving me. “He’s a very dangerous guy and I’m prepared for him. It’s going to rain down in the Octagon on Saturday and I think we’ll settle some things in person.” Dvalishvili called out Figueiredo at Umar Nuromagomedov’s expense. Nurmagomedov (No. 2) is ranked higher than Figueiredo (No. 5) and most believe he’s entitled to the next title shot after beating Sandhagen. Figueiredo did not claim to be more deserving of a title shot than Nurmagomedov but assured he’d call out the champion after beating Yan.