One of the most eagerly anticipated flyweight contests of the year takes place on Saturday evening at the UFC APEX, as Deiveson Figueiredo defends his Flyweight title against the number one contender Brandon Moreno.
Tale Of The Tape
| Deiveson Figueiredo | Brandon Moreno | |
| 32 | Age | 27 |
| 20-1 | Record | 18-5-1 |
| 5 ft 5 in | Height | 5 ft 7 in |
| 68 in | Reach | 70 in |
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It promises to be a thrilling night of action at the UFC APEX, as there is very little between the top two rated flyweights in the UFC. Figueiredo comes into the event as the reigning champion in the flyweight division, and has only been beaten on one occasion as a professional.
That defeat came back in 2019, as he was beaten by decision by Jussier Formiga. Since then, he has dominated over the last year and a half. His first fight for the title came in February of this year, as he beat Joseph Benavidez for the vacant title. However, Figueiredo missed weight for that fight, which meant that it became a non-title match. He didn’t make the same mistake again, as they came to blows in July.
Figueiredo was more dominant than he was in the previous fight, as he beat Benavidez by submission inside the first round in Abu Dhabi. Since then, he has successfully defended the championship against Alex Perez. He beat his opponent in November inside the first round by submission. Eight of Figueiredo’s career wins have come through this method, and he has only been taken the distance on four occasions. He will come into this fight as the heavy 0.31 favourite with BetXChange to get the win.
However, Moreno won’t be involved to just make up the numbers, and he brings with him an incredible record since returning to the UFC. This would be the fitting ending to his one-year absence from the UFC between 2018 and 2019. Since returning, he has quickly emerged as one of the leading fighters in the flyweight division. Many would have questioned that statement after his comeback fight against Askar Askarov, as he drew the back and forth matchup in 2019.
Since that draw, he has won on all three previous appearances in the octagon. The biggest question that hangs over him heading into this contest will be whether he will be able to survive the early onslaught that is expected by Figueiredo. His record would indicate yes, as he has never been knocked out or submitted throughout his career. Confidence will also be high that he could be the one inflicting the damage, as he has won three fights by knockout and ten by submission throughout his career. However, coming up against Figueiredo will be a completely new challenge to the Mexican.
Deiveson Figueiredo vs Brandon Moreno Prediction
MMA fans have been waiting for this fight for months, and it will be compelling to see how it goes. Deiveson Figueiredo has been excellent with submissions, but he will be coming up against an opponent that has never lost within the distance. That could change this weekend, as Figueiredo will overpower his challenger.
Pick: Deiveson Figueiredo at 0.31 with BetXChange.
