UFC 256 predictions -- Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno: Fight card, odds, prelims, expert picks
Check out who the experts at CBS Sports are taking in the flyweight title fight on Saturday
UFC 256 will serve as the final pay-per-view event for the promotion in 2020, and for a time, the card was in desperate need of a headliner. That's where flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno stepped up one month after both men picked up wins at UFC 255. The two now meet in the main event of the card, which takes place Saturday at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
Figueiredo is coming off a submission of Alex Perez in less than two minutes. The win was the first defense of his 125-pound championship. Moreno stopped Brandon Royval in the first round of their UFC 255 fight and immediately began calling for a shot at the title. He got his wish, just on a much shorter timeline than expected.
But this card has some depth beyond the title fight main event. Lightweight contenders collide in the co-main event when perennial title contender Tony Ferguson returns to take on Charles Oliveira. Ferguson was considered the No. 1 contender for the 155-pound title for multiple years and had multiple bookings with champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, only to see each fall through for one reason or another. Now, coming off a destructive loss to Justin Gaethje in May, Ferguson is looking to get back to a title shot with a win over Oliveira, who himself has won seven in a row.
Plus, some of UFC's top prospects are back in action on Saturday night. Mackenzie Dern is in a featured bout against Virna Jandiroba at 115 pounds. She has won two straight fights this year by first-round submission. And Chase Hooper, the 21-year-old phenom, is back when he takes on Peter Barrett to open the event. Hooper lost a decision to Alex Caceres in his most recent contest, his first professional loss.
Buckle up, it's going to be a wild ride. Let's take a closer look at the rest of the card with the latest odds from William Hill Sportsbook.
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UFC 256 fight card, odds
- Deiveson Figueiredo (c) -330 vs. Brandon Moreno +260, flyweight championship
- Tony Ferguson -170 vs. Charles Oliveira +145, lightweights
- Mackenzie Dern -190 vs. Virna Jandiroba +160, women's strawweights
- Jacare Souza -115 vs. Kevin Holland -105, middleweights
- Ciryl Gane -440 vs. Junior dos Santos +340, heavyweights
- Daniel Pineda -160 vs. Cub Swanson +135, featherweights
- Rafael Fiziev -160 vs. Renato Moicano +135 lightweights
- Tecia Torres -650 vs. Sam Hughes +475, women's strawweights
- Billy Quarantillo -170 vs. Gavin Tucker +145, featherweights
- Chase Hooper -380 vs. Peter Barrett +300, featherweights
With such a massive main event on tap, the crew at CBS Sports went ahead with predictions and picks for the main card. Here are your pick makers: Brent Brookhouse (Combat sports writer), Brian Campbell (Combat sports writer, co-host of "Morning Kombat"), Matthew Coca (producer), Jack Crosby (editor) and Michael Mormile (producer).
UFC 256 picks
| Campbell | Brookhouse | Coca | Crosby | Mormile | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Figueiredo (c) vs. Moreno | Figueiredo | Figueiredo | Figueiredo | Figueiredo | Figueiredo |
| Ferguson vs. Oliveira | Ferguson | Ferguson | Ferguson | Ferguson | Ferguson |
| Dern vs. Jandiroba | Dern | Dern | Dern | Dern | Dern |
| Holland vs. Souza | Holland | Holland | Souza | Holland | Holland |
| Gane vs. dos Santos | dos Santos | Gane | Gane | Gane | dos Santos |
Campbell on why Figueiredo will win: Just three weeks removed from his first title defense, the short turnaround will likely help Figueiredo stay on weight for what has been a historically tough cut for him at 125 pounds. Provided all things are equal between the two, Moreno certainly presents a fun challenge as an all-action type whose well-rounded game has evolved since returning to the UFC over the past two years. But everything he does well, Figueiredo simply does better. Expect the champion to cap off a breakout campaign with a fourth stoppage win.
Brookhouse on why Figueiredo will win: This is a battle between an elite fighter and a very good fighter, which isn't a knock on the fight, but rather a look at why the expectation is for the champion to retain. Figueiredo is a well-rounded fighter who has the edge over Moreno in his application of skills in every area. This isn't likely to be as easy a night for Figueiredo as Alex Perez, but Figueiredo's pressure and ability to win no matter where the fight goes means he'll find his way to a finish.
Campbell on why Ferguson will win: Should we count out Ferguson, at age 36, returning against yet another dangerous opponent following a savage beating he took against Justin Gaethje in May? Do so at your own peril. Yes, Oliveira comes in red hot having won seven straight while owning the UFC record for most submission wins. Oliveira's stubbornness and high-flying style has all the makings to mesh well with Ferguson's oddball ways to make for an amazing fight. It's just hard to imagine Ferguson doesn't end up finding a way to finally secure that long-awaited shot at the full UFC lightweight championship. With almost unreal recuperative skills and so much to fight for with Khabib Nurmagomedov's impending retirement, look for Ferguson to rise to the occasion in a barn burner.
Who wins Figueiredo vs. Moreno? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC 256, all from the incomparable expert who's up more than $22,000 on MMA in the past 22 months, and find out.
