In the main event of UFC 256, Deiveson Figueiredo will look for his second UFC flyweight title defense in less than a month when he takes on Brandon Moreno.
Deiveson Figueiredo (20-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) literally just defended his UFC flyweight title last month in impressive fashion, and now he’s back again on short notice to headline UFC 256 against Brandon Moreno (18-5-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC). UFC 256: Figueiredo vs. Moreno airs live from the APEX center in Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday, December 12th. The main card will start with a fight time of 10:00 p.m. ET / 7.00 p.m. PT, with the ESPN+/ESPN2 prelims beginning at 8:00 p.m. and the early prelim kicking off at 7:30 p.m.
How do these two stack up?
Figueiredo: 32 years old | 5’5” | 68” reach
Moreno: 27 years old | 5’7” | 70” reach
What have these two done recently?
Figueiredo: W – Alex Perez (SUB) | W – Joseph Benavidez (SUB) | W – Joseph Benavidez (TKO)
Moreno: W – Brandon Royval (TKO) | W – Jussier Formiga (DEC) | W – Kai Kara-France (DEC)
How did these two get here?
Deiveson Figueiredo is known as a striker but he’s won by submission in three of his last four fights. Against Alex Perez, he turned a stuffed takedown and scramble into an instant guard pull and guillotine choke that had Perez tapping in an instant. The Brazilian is capable of ending anyone’s night early at a level that we just do not see in the flyweight division. Only Jussier Formiga has beaten him in his MMA career, and otherwise most of his wins have been in emphatic fashion, including both fights vs. Joseph Benavidez. It is likely that with a win against Moreno he will be MMA’s Fighter of the Year for 2020.
You may recall that Moreno was controversially got cut after two straight losses in 2018. After winning the LFA flyweight title, “The Assassin Baby” was brought back to the UFC in 2019 and fought to a draw with Askar Askarov. He’s since rattled off three straight over Kai Kara-France, Jussier Formiga, and most recently he stopped Brandon Royval on the undercard of Figueiredo-Perez, so he too is on a three-week turnaround. If he pulls off the upset he’ll be the first Mexican-born champion in UFC history.
Why should you care?
Moreno may be a sizeable underdog but for a fight that’s been made on a few weeks notice he is a live dog, and Figueiredo is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport. This is a can’t miss title fight.