UFC 256: FIGUEIREDO vs. MORENO Preview

UFC 256: FIGUEIREDO vs. MORENO takes place Saturday, December 12 at UFC APEX

Flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo goes for his first successful title defence against Alex Perez. Former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson returns against Charles Oliveira.

Flyweight Fireworks

 In Saturday’s main event, former interim lightweight champion UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo defends his title for a second time as he takes on No. 1 ranked flyweight contender Brandon Moreno.

“Deus da Guerra” will be hoping to maintain the momentum from his last appearance, which saw him submit challenger Alex Perez in less than two minutes at UFC 255. This brought his tally to 11 first-round finishes overall and a professional record of 20-1. The exciting talent also holds wins over Joseph Benavidez (twice), Tim Elliott and Alexandre Pantoja over the course of his career.

His opponent, Moreno also comes into the bout on a winning streak of his own, having triumphed in his last 3 contests. His last appearance saw him score a first-round stoppage victory over Brandon Royval, helping him extend his record to 6-2-1 in nine bouts inside the Octagon.  Both men picked up first-round finishes at UFC® 255 but who will get the belt this weekend?

HISTORIC CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT: DEIVESON FIGUEIREDO LOOKS TO SET THE RECORD FOR FASTEST CONSECUTIVE UFC TITLE DEFENSES WHEN HE FACES BRANDON MORENO

• Deiveson Figueiredo (20-1, fighting out of Soure, Pará, Brazil) aims to continue building his reputation as one of the best fighters on the planet by becoming the first person to finish Moreno
  • UFC flyweight champion
  • No. 11 men’s pound-for-pound
  • Nine wins by KO, eight via submission
  • 11 first-round finishes
  • Holds wins over Joseph Benavidez (twice), Tim Elliott and Alexandre Pantoja
• Brandon Moreno (18-5-1, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) plans on dethroning Figueiredo to achieve his dream of being UFC flyweight champion
  • No. 1 ranked flyweight contender
  • 10 wins by submission, three via KO
  • Eight first-round finishes
  • On a three-fight win streak
  • Holds wins over Brandon Royval, Jussier Formiga and Kai Kara-France

Lightweight Contenders

 The co-main event sees former interim lightweight champion and No. 3 ranked UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson take on No. 7 ranked Charles Oliveira. Returning to the Octagon after his first defeat in nearly seven years, “El Cucuy” will be looking to secure another shot at the undisputed title in the division. With his unorthodox, well-rounded game, Ferguson is still one of the most feared athletes in the division and will be keen to return to the win column on Saturday night.

Charles Oliveira has impressed since returning to the lightweight division following a stint at featherweight. He enters this bout on a seven-fight win streak and currently holds the record for the most submission victories in UFC history, with notable performances including a 90-second knockout victory against Jared Gordon and a submission over Kevin Lee back in March.  In a bout many believe could win Fight of the Night honours, it will be interesting to see how this one plays out./

LIGHTWEIGHT FIREWORKS: FORMER INTERIM LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION TONY FERGUSON BATTLES ALL-TIME SUBMISSION LEADER CHARLES OLIVEIRA

• Tony Ferguson (26-4, fighting out of Orange County, Calif.) has his sights set on securing another shot at the undisputed title by snapping the win streak of Oliveira

• • No. 3 ranked UFC lightweight contender
  • Former interim lightweight champion
  • 13 wins by KO, eight via submission
  • Nine first-round finishes
  • Won The Ultimate Fighter season 13
  • Holds wins over Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis and Kevin Lee
• Charles Oliveira (29-8 1 NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas by way of Sao Paulo, Brazil) intends to deliver his most remarkable performance yet and insert his name into the title conversation
  • No. 7 ranked lightweight contender
  • 19 wins by submission, eight via KO
  • On a seven-fight win streak
  • Most submissions in UFC history (14)
  • Tied with Donald Cerrone for most finishes in UFC history (16)
  • Holds wins over Kevin Lee, Nick Lentz and Jim Miller

Fantastic Frenchman

Kicking off the main card this weekend will be rising star Ciryl Gane as he takes on former champion, and No. 14 ranked, Junior Dos Santos in the heavyweight division.

The Frenchman is unbeaten in his UFC career to date and will be looking to record a significant victory against one of his toughest opponents to date.  Gane had a successful rookie year in 2019 with six consecutive victories, including three wins in five months, and ended the year with a unanimous decision win over Tanner Boser.

His opponent, however, will be looking to hand him his first defeat and prove he is still a contender in this division. “Cigano”.  After facing three of the division’s top contenders, Santos will be hoping to return to winning ways and recapture his past successes.  Fans can expect an entertaining matchup between two premier talents in the division.

OTHER FIGHTS ON THE CARD INCLUDE

• Exciting lightweights clash as Renato Moicano (14-3-1, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil) takes on Rafael Fiziev (8-1, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand)
• No. 15 ranked middleweight contender Kevin Holland (20-5, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) looks to become only the third modern-era UFC athlete to win five fights in a calendar year when he takes on dangerous veteran Jacare Souza (26-8, 1 NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Ranked heavyweights lock horns as former UFC champion and No. 7 Junior Dos Santos (21-8, fighting out of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil) looks to hand No. 14 Ciryl Gane (6-0, fighting out of Paris, France) his first loss
• Cub Swanson (26-11, fighting out of Palm Springs, Calif.) meets Daniel Pineda (27-13, 2 NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas) in a matchup of featherweight veterans
• Ranked women’s strawweight contenders aim to break into the top 10 as No. 11 Mackenzie Dern (9-1, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) takes on No. 13 Virna Jandiroba (16-1, fighting out of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil)
• Women’s strawweight veterans intend to steal the show as No. 10 Tecia Torres (11-5, fighting out of Colorado Springs, Colo.) faces off with short-notice replacement Sam Hughes (5-1, fighting out of Everett, Wash.)
• In a battle of featherweight hopefuls, Gavin Tucker (12-1, fighting out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) meets Dana White’s Contender Series veteran Billy Quarantillo (15-2, fighting out of Tampa, Fla.)
• Serghei Spivac (11-2, fighting out of Chisinau, Moldova) answer the callout of Dana White’s Contender Series veteran Jared Vanderaa (11-4, fighting out of Hemet, Calif.) in a heavyweight bout
• Dana White’s Contender Series veterans look to bounce back into the win column as Chase Hooper (9-1-1, fighting out of Enumclaw, Wash.) faces Peter Barrett (11-4, fighting out of East Bridgewater, Mass.)