The UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas will be rockin’ again on Saturday night, as UFC 256 is set to unfold. The main event is a fight for the UFC Flyweight Championship, as Deiveson Figueiredo looks to defend his belt against Brandon Moreno. In the co-main event, Charles Oliveira will tangle with Ton Ferguson in a lightweight matchup. You can catch the main card on pay per view, with preliminary bouts on ESPN2 or ESPN+, and the early prelim fight on ESPN+ or UFC Fight Pass.
Check out the full card along with our UFC betting thoughts on some of the top matchups.
UFC 256 Preview: Figueiredo vs Moreno
Main Card (Pay Per View)
Deiveson Figueiredo vs Brandon Moreno (UFC Flyweight Championship)
Tony Ferguson vs Charles Oliveira (Lightweight)
Mackenzie Dern vs Virna Jandiroba (Women’s Strawweight)
Kevin Holland vs Ronaldo Souza (Middleweight)
Junior dos Santos vs Ciryl Gane (Heavyweight)
Preliminary Card (ESPN2 / ESPN+)
Cub Swanson vs Daniel Pineda (Featherweight)
Renato Moicano vs Rafael Fiziev (Lightweight)
Gavin Tucker vs Billy Quarantillo (Featherweight)
Tecia Torres vs Sam Hughes (Women’s Strawweight)
Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
Deiveson Figueiredo (20-1, 9-1 UFC, -300) vs Brandon Moreno (18-5-1, 6-2-1 UFC, +250) will be Figueiredo makes his second belt defense in just three weeks, as three other fights for belts fell through for the main event time slot. Figueiredo is fun to watch, particularly in a flyweight division that has a reputation for always ending up on the cards. Figueiredo is a bit of an exception, as in the Brazilian ranks he backhanded a man, knocking him out cold, and he has finished UFC fights just as decisively. In his last win, he beat Alex Perez via a guillotine choke after swinging onto his leg and trying a kneebar.
Moreno got a late replacement slot in his UFC debut, fighting Louis Smolka, who at the time was a rising contender. However, Moreno delivered a quick submission win, starting a roll that would put him in a quick headliner role. That fight was against Sergio Pettis, who showed Moreno’s gaps in terms of technique, and it just took two losses for him to leave UFC. The promotion brought him back when they decided to recommit to the flyweight division, and he came back much more skilled. He got a draw against Askar Askarov, although many observers thought he had won. He is also fighting just three weeks after his last bout, when he took down Brandon Royval. The questions around the quick turnaround involve Figueiredo getting down to 125 pounds (and how that cut will influence his durability and power) as well as Morenos’ stamina, given the high-octane pace he brings into the cage. I see Figueiredo exploiting Moreno’s still developing defense.
Final Pick:
Figueiredo wins via submission
Tony Ferguson (25-4, 15-2 UFC, -165) vs Charles Oliveira (29-8, 17-8 UFC, +145) pits an unlucky fighter, in terms of title opportunities (Ferguson) against a prospect who was nearly ruined by getting exposed too quickly (Oliveira). Oliveira came in at the age of 20 and delivered quick submission victories over Darren Elkins and Efrain Escudero. After that, though, he was pitted against Donald Cerrone and Jim Miller, and in both cases he was quickly dispatched. That led to a sad trend in which he would knuckle under after the first bad sign in any fight. His talent is terrific, but his mental strength remains a question, such as the phantom injury to his throat that derailed his fight against Max Holloway. However, after beating David Teymur early in 2019, he showed more mental strength, and now he has a seven-fight winning streak. Can he earn a title shot here?
Ferguson brings offense that is high in octane but is often unfocused. The unpredictability can pay off, but the lack of order can also cost him. It takes him a while to gauge his rhythm, and during that time he tends to eat some punishment. If he can maintain his stamina, he should be able to bring this around. This is likely to become a hammer-throwing battle, and Ferguson seems to have the better stamina from a mental perspective.
Final Prediction:
Ferguson wins via decision
UFC Betting Odds
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