One of the greatest title fights in UFC history will get a second go-round at UFC 263.
While the women’s flyweight title will be at stake in April, the UFC men’s flyweight championship is slated for a highly anticipated rematch a couple of months later.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reports that champion Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno will rematch at UFC 263 on June 12th. These two first met at UFC 256 on December 12th, with the all-time classic ending in a five-round majority draw thanks in large part to Figueiredo losing a point for a groin strike.
Figueiredo (20-1-1) had one hell of a 2020. He knocked out Joseph Benavidez in February but missing weight meant the flyweight title remained vacant. In the rematch in July, he beat up Benavidez even worse and submitted him in the opening round. His first defense came in November against short notice replacement Alex Perez, whom he guillotined in the opening round. His thriller with Moreno was the quickest turnaround for a champion in UFC history at just three weeks.
Moreno (18-5-2) is undefeated since his UFC return in 2019. After winning the LFA title, ‘The Assassin Baby’ went to a draw with Askar Askarov, but proceeded to score wins over Kai Kara-France, Jussier Formiga, and Brandon Royval to earn his first ever UFC title shot. Needless to say, his toughness and chin were on full display against Figueiredo and he dished out some quality offense of his own that made it such a compelling brawl and war of attrition.
No other fights have been linked to UFC 263 and we do not yet know a location or venue for the card.