Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
The UFC usually stages a mega-card on the final Saturday of the year, but 2020 has changed plenty within the organization so the final big event instead is this Saturday from its Apex facility in Las Vegas with a flyweight title fight between champion Deiveson Figueiredo and top contender Brandon Moreno headlining UFC 256. The main card starts at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view.
The UFC ranks Figueiredo as the No. 11 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, ahead of such big names as Conor McGregor, Robert Whittaker and Tony Ferguson. “Daico” is a 27-year-old Brazilian who is 20-1 as a professional.
If Figueiredo defending his flyweight belt in a major UFC event sounds familiar, that’s because he just beat fill-in Alex Perez – former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt had to pull out – on November 21 by first-round submission (guillotine choke). Perez was looking to become the first “Contender Series” alum to win a title in the UFC but was overmatched.
Figueiredo, who now has won three of his past four fights in the first round, closed around a -360 favorite for that bout and is -325 for this one. It will be the fastest championship turnaround in UFC history.
Moreno (18-5-1) is a 26-year-old from Mexico and is ranked No. 1 in the division (Perez, by comparison, is No. 4). “The Assassin Baby” also fought at UFC 255 so it’s not like there will be a rest advantage. As a -175 favorite, Moreno beat Brandon Royval by first-round TKO (punches) to earn the title shot.
Any chance Royval had of winning ended when he dislocated his right shoulder in a grapple. Moreno then started raining down punches on his defenseless opponent. Moreno has won six fights since 2016, the second-most UFC flyweight victories after Figueiredo’s eight. When Moreno wins, it’s usually by submission (56 percent). All five of his losses are via decision. He’s a +250 underdog.
We mentioned Ferguson above, and he’s on this card at lightweight against Brazil’s Charles Oliveira in a non-title fight.
The 36-year-old Ferguson (25-4), ranked No. 3 in the division, won the interim UFC lightweight belt in 2017 and was to face current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov for the belt in April, but Khabib had to pull out. Ferguson instead fought Justin Gaethje in May and lost by fifth-round TKO in an upset.
Ferguson is -175 for Saturday with the 31-year-old Oliveira (29-8), ranked No. 7, at +145. “Do Bronx” was last in the Octagon in March and beat Kevin Lee by third-round submission for a seventh straight victory.
