DEIVESON FIGUEIREDO VS. BRANDON MORENO
After lighting the UFC APEX on fire last December in a clash that landed on the Fight of the Year podium, Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno are back to do it again, with the flyweight title once again hanging in the balance.
Everything about their first meeting at UFC 256 is wild to think about in hindsight, as the bout came together three weeks earlier, when each man made quick work of their respective opponents at UFC 255. Then, midway through a competitive, wildly entertaining battle, Figueiredo was hit with a point deduction in the third round for an illegal strike, which became the determining factor in the fight resulting in a draw, setting up this rematch.
Now after having time to recover, reset, and run themselves through a full training camp, these two standouts will do it again in Saturday’s co-main event.
Figueiredo topped a lot of Fighter of the Year lists in 2020 after earning three wins and a draw, including twin finishes of Joseph Benavidez and a quick submission win over Alex Perez in his initial title defense. The fast and powerful Brazilian has been on fire since suffering the lone loss of his career in early 2019 and will look to continue his reign by putting away Moreno this weekend.
It’s been a wild five-year run for Moreno, who debuted in the UFC shortly after losing his tournament bout on Season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter, and has gone 3-0-2 in five fights since returning to the promotion in the fall of 2019. Having gained a first-hand understanding of what the champion brings to the table, it will be interesting to see if the challenger can complete his climb to the top of the flyweight division on Saturday night.
LEON EDWARDS VS. NATE DIAZ
For the first time in UFC history, a non-title fight stationed outside of the main event will be contested over five rounds, as streaking welterweight Leon Edwards looks to secure the biggest win of his career in a clash with returning cult hero Nate Diaz in the middle of Saturday’s pay-per-view main card.
It’s been a challenging 23 months for Edwards, who was sidelined throughout 2020 due to myriad COVID-19-related cancellations and postponements, and then had his March clash with Belal Muhammad halted just 18 seconds into the second round when Muhammad was rendered unable to continue due to an inadvertent eye poke.
The Birmingham native had won eight straight prior to collecting a no contest verdict in March, and looked sharp in his first five minutes of action since beating Rafael Dos Anjos on July 20, 2019. He’s already on the short list of potential title challengers in the welterweight division, and a dominant effort here could make him the unquestioned top contender going forward.
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The 36-year-old Diaz is returning for the first time since his BMF title fight with Jorge Masvidal at UFC 244 in New York City, where a gnarly cut over his eye halted the proceedings at the end of the third round. Stockton’s favorite son is the ultimate wild card because his high-volume approach and bottomless gas tank can make him a nightmare matchup for anyone, even a streaking standout like Edwards.
Will “Rocky” cement his place as the top contender in the welterweight ranks or is Diaz going to shake things up again?
