Despite picking up big wins at UFC 255 last weekend, Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno are already slated to fight again—against each other.
Figueiredo, the UFC flyweight champion, and Moreno, the division’s No. 1 contender, are set to collide at UFC 256 next month. And when the cage door closes, the champ is expecting a decisive and violent victory.
“I think I’m going to destroy him,” Figueiredo said at the UFC 255 post-fight press conference (via MMA Fighting). “If I touch him, I’m going to break him. Just touching him.
“Because Brandon Moreno talk a lot of bad things about me,” he added. “I have a personal problem with Brandon Moreno. I think I’m going to destroy Brandon Moreno in December. But I want the boss to show the desire to see this fight.”
Given the short time Figueiredo will have to prepare for this fight, many fans are worried he’ll struggle to make the 125-pound limit for flyweight title fights—a limit he’s failed to reach previously.
Figueiredo acknowledges that it will be difficult, but believes Moreno will also struggle with the cut down to 125, which should level the playing field.
“The pressure I’m going to have to get the weight, he’s going to have [too],” Figueiredo said. “We’re in the same spot. It’s a war for both sides. If I I have pressure, he’s going to have pressure.”
While Figueiredo definitely has a tough task ahead of him in this fight with Moreno, it’s worth noting that the oddsmakers do expect him to win the fight. Heading into UFC 256, the Brazilian has been pegged as a significant -275 favorite, while Moreno is a +235 underdog.
UFC 256: Brandon Moreno (+235) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (-275) https://t.co/nYbOKQNeWY @theassassinbaby
— BestFightOdds (@BestFightOdds) November 22, 2020
Do you think Deiveson Figueiredo can make good on this prediction and destroy a very tough challenger in Brandon Moreno at UFC 256?