Brandon Moreno will challenge Deiveson Figueiredo for the flyweight title in the main event of UFC 256 in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Moreno will be the first Mexican-born fighter to compete for a UFC title. A win wouldn’t just change the fortunes of the athlete, his wife and his children. It also could be a boon for combat sports fans in a boxing-rich country.
“It means everything to me,” Moreno told ESPN of the opportunity. “We have a lot of the future of combat sports in Tijuana and Mexico in general. … But mixed martial arts is a relatively new sport in my country. I know I can change the game in my country if they have the first 100% Mexican champion in the UFC.”
It won’t be easy. Moreno comes in as a heavy underdog against Figueiredo, who has the makings of a dominant champion at 125 pounds.
ESPN has Figueiredo ranked No. 7 in the world on its MMA pound-for-pound list. Figueiredo and Moreno are ranked Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, at flyweight behind former UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson, one of the best fighters of all time.
This is the quickest turnaround for a champion or challenger in UFC history. Figueiredo and Moreno both competed at UFC 255 on Nov. 21. Figueiredo finished Alex Perez via guillotine choke — the fastest submission in UFC flyweight history (1:57) — and Moreno beat Brandon Royval via first-round TKO.
Figueiredo (20-1) has won five in a row and nine of his 10 UFC appearances. The man nicknamed “God of War” stopped Joseph Benavidez via first-round TKO in July to win the vacant flyweight title. This will be the Brazilian slugger’s second title defense. Figueiredo, 32, is tied with Johnson for most finishes in UFC flyweight history, with seven.
Moreno (18-5-1) is unbeaten in five straight, with a 7-2-1 UFC record. “The Assassin Baby” was cut by the UFC in 2018 after he dropped two in a row. At the time, the promotion was considering dropping its flyweight division. Moreno, 26, won the LFA title in 2019 and was brought back to the UFC three months later. He is 3-0-1 since being released.
In the co-main event, perennial contender and former interim champion Tony Ferguson meets Charles Oliveira in a significant lightweight matchup. Ferguson (25-4), ranked No. 3 by ESPN at 155 pounds, had his record 12-fight lightweight winning streak snapped by Justin Gaethje in an interim title bout at UFC 249 in May. Oliveira (29-8, 1 NC), ESPN’s No. 9-ranked lightweight, has won seven straight and has the most submission wins in UFC history (14).
Also on the card, women’s strawweight grappling sensations Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba will do battle, former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos meets prospect Ciryl Gane, and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza faces Kevin Holland in a pivotal middleweight clash.
Fight in progress:
Heavyweight: Junior Dos Santos (21-8, 15-7 UFC, +340) vs. Ciryl Gane (6-0, 3-0 UFC, -440)
Results:
Men’s featherweight: Cub Swanson (27-11, 12-7 UFC) def. Daniel Pineda (27-14, 4-5 UFC) by second-round knockout
Cub Swanson fought for the first time since he suffered ACL and meniscus tears in December, and Daniel Pineda was intent on testing his leg in the first round. And while Pineda hurt Swanson’s leg, it was Swanson’s right hand that ended the fight.
Two short right uppercuts sandwiched a left hook, and Swanson ended it with a vicious right hand on Pineda’s chin.
Killer Cub vs Jose Aldo II anyone?! Been a long time coming!!#UFC256
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) December 13, 2020
“With my long layoff I was doing so much leg strengthening,” Swanson said. “It was on my mind, and last few days I was terrified, questioning myself.”
Swanson hurt Pineda in the last minute of the first round and kept landing shots, but Pineda was saved by the bell.
The loss ended Pineda’s seven-fight unbeaten streak. He was coming off an impressive second-round stoppage of Herbert Burns on Aug. 15.
Swanson moved into sole possession of third place on the UFC featherweight wins list with 12. Only Max Holloway (16) and Darren Elkins (14) have more.
Lightweight: Rafael Fiziev (9-1, 3-1 UFC) defeats Renato Moicano (14-4-1, 6-4 UFC) by first-round KO
Rafael Fiziev has some of the fastest hands and legs in the UFC, and he showed off all of his talents with a first-round knockout of Renato Moicano at UFC 256.
Fiziev spent most the first round mixing in hard kicks and quick combinations. He finished the fight with one of them, a three-punch effort — a left to the body, a right to the head and a left to the head.
I agree. Moicano literally grabbed Fiziev’s wrist after getting hit. I think the ref could’ve let it go a little longer, but I really think that Moicano wasn’t going survive in the ground. My thing is, at least let the fighter try. He was hurt but not out cold. Just my 2 cents https://t.co/yeDjBEcrHg
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) December 13, 2020
This was Fiziev’s third straight victory. He has seven career finishes, six coming by knockout.
“This is really hard work, I’m tired from this camp and I want to go home and rest,” Fiziev said. “I want to say to everyone in my division — train more. More heart. More wrestling, grappling, boxing — I’m coming.”
Moicano has lost by KO or TKO in three of his past four fights.
Men’s featherweight: Gavin Tucker (13-1, 4-1 UFC) def. Billy Quarantillo (15-3, 3-1 UFC) by unanimous decision
Expectations that Gavin Tucker and Billy Quarantillo would put on an all-action fight were fulfilled early, and the furious pace continued throughout the three rounds with Tucker proving to be the sharper and more well-rounded fighter.
The unanimous-decision loss snapped Quarantillo’s eight-fight win streak.
Tucker, who has won three straight, controlled the action early in the third round, tripping Quarantillo, pressing him against the cage and then taking him down. Tucker stayed on top for about a minute but never came close to getting a finish.
Tucker is a tactical fighter man
— Baldy Ed (@brianboom135) December 13, 2020
“I’m happy with the win, but I’m sure watching back, it will look dirty and rough and tumble,” Tucker said. “I really wanted this one. Billy’s a hell of a fighter, and this was a hell of a fight.”
In the second, Tucker went to the body and started to slow Quarantillo — slightly. Tucker kept up the pressure with crisper, more accurate punches. Tucker took Quarantillo’s back twice in the second, but Quarantillo was able to escape both times.
Both went straight forward in the first round, exchanging kicks and punches and setting a pace that suggested cardio would play a big role.
Tucker landed a career-high seven takedowns after entering the fight having landed seven takedowns combined through his four career UFC fights.
Strawweight: Tecia Torres (12-5, 8-5 UFC) defeats Sam Hughes (5-2, 0-1 UFC) by first-round TKO (doctor’s stoppage)
Tecia Torres didn’t offer Sam Hughes the warmest of welcomes to the UFC. Torres won by TKO before the start of the second round after Hughes told her corner she couldn’t see out of her left eye. After evaluation from the ringside physician, the fight was stopped.
Torres now has eight wins in the UFC strawweight division, which is tied for third-most all-time with Carla Esparza.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 yes 🌪 https://t.co/UGPlmooPT6
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) December 13, 2020
“I would like to have a top-10 opponent, definitely someone ranked above me,” Torest said after the fight. “I’d like to make my way to that title shot one day … My time is coming.”
Torres came out swinging in the first, striking Hughes at will. Heavy combinations and Superman punches marked up Hughes’ face in that round, which was ultimately capped off by a slam to the mat. According to UFC Stats, Torres landed 27 strikes to the head, 13 to the body and 12 to the legs in that first round.
Torres was the biggest favorite on the card at UFC 256. She earned her first stoppage since July 2017 and the first TKO of her career
Men’s featherweight: Chase Hooper (10-1-1, 2-1 UFC) defeats Peter Barrett (11-5, 0-2 UFC) via third-round submission
Chase Hooper wasn’t having much success striking with Peter Barrett, so he took the fight where he needed to. And Hooper found that success on the ground.
With a feint followed by a roll, Hooper took Barrett down early in the third, and the two were locked up for more than a minute. Hooper kept punching Barrett in the face, and Barrett tried to scramble out before Hooper cinched in the heel-hook submission.
I was about to suggest Hooper returns to the regional circuit and return later to the UFC due to him being young and a good talent . But I’ll just eat my words over here 🐸☕️ . 😂 #UFC256
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) December 13, 2020
Barrett landed a leg kick early in the second round that compromised Hooper’s right leg. Hooper then went for several takedowns, and he kept the fight on the ground as long as he could.
Barrett moved forward throughout the first round, seemingly unconcerned with Hooper’s power. Hooper went for a double-leg takedown attempt at the end of the first, and he was able to get Barrett down, but the round ended before he was able to do any damage.
It was Hooper’s first fight since his first loss, a unanimous decision to Alex Caceres on June 6.
The 21-year-old Hooper has eight finishes in his 10 wins and is the 25th fighter in UFC history to win multiple fights before his 25th birthday, according research by to ESPN Stats & Information.
Still to come:
Men’s flyweight: Deiveson Figueiredo (c) (20-1, 9-1 UFC, -330) vs. Brandon Moreno (18-5-1, 6-2-1 UFC, +260)
Lightweight: Tony Ferguson (26-4, 15-2 UFC, -165) vs. Charles Oliveira (29-8 1 NC, 17-8 1 NC UFC, +140)
Strawweight: Mackenzie Dern (9-1, 4-1 UFC, -190) vs. Virna Jandiroba (16-1, 2-1 UFC, +160)
Middleweight: Jacare Souza (26-8, 9-5 UFC, -115) vs. Kevin Holland (20-5, 7-2 UFC, -105)
(c) = defending champion