UFC fans have been patiently waiting for Brandon Moreno vs Deiveson Figueiredo III and it’s finally here.
The UFC flyweight title is on the line at UFC 270 on Saturday and Moreno is the sportsbook favorite to retain his championship.
Moreno scored a submission victory when they last met, so former champion Figueiredo will be out to make amends.
Brandon Moreno vs Deiveson Figueiredo III
Challenger Seeks Redemption
The former champion is seeking redemption when he fights on Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Figueiredo was stunned after being submitted by Moreno, who showcased his all-around skills in the second fight of the trilogy.
The Brazilian superstar is an excellent submission specialist, but he’ll need to be wary of another Moreno submission attempt. UFC boss Dana White doesn’t want a fourth fight, so he’s hoping one of them scores a decisive win.
“I don’t like the idea of fourth fights and there’s a lot of guys waiting in line for the next shot,” White told TSN. “Whatever happens, happens as long as it’s a great fight. What I’m hoping for is that it’s a decisive finish, not that we get down to, ‘Oh, it’s a split decision.’ As long as it’s a good fight.”
We love the energy Figueiredo brings to the table and bettors could see value in his odds. Betting online markets have him at +145, which would have been snapped up in seconds had he not lost his last fight.
Moreno is a better striker and he showed his submission skills at UFC 263, but we think the Figueiredo camp will have something up their sleeve. He’s too good to let one loss get to him, so his odds shouldn’t be overlooked.
Moreno Set for Stardom
Moreno is already an MMA superstar, but scoring consecutive wins over Figueiredo would cement his status.
The 28-year-old Mexican was always teetering on the edge of winning a big fight and beating Figueiredo put him on the map. Now, Morena can further establish his dominance in the flyweight division.
“He already is (a star),” White said. “I’ve been saying this to everybody: Watch Saturday night when this kid walks into the arena. You don’t realize (how big he’s gotten) but we do so many of these signings and things like that with him, (and) this kid’s a huge star. You’re really going to see it and feel it on Saturday.”
We love the confidence of White and there is a reason why Moreno is the -175 favorite with UFC betting markets.
Bettors are confident with the current champion and he’s a tough fighter to bet against. He has shown excellent striking throughout his career, but pulling out a submission win against a submission specialist was truly something special.
There was an arrogance about the victory, despite Moreno being one of the more humble fighters in the business.
There isn’t much depth in the flyweight rankings, so the title could be wrapped around the waist of Moreno for years to come.
Take Moreno to the Bank
Betting on UFC favorites isn’t always a sound strategy, but Moreno should deliver for bettors.
He’s a much more confident fighter than he used to be and he’ll be hell-bent on defending his belt once again.
We would be prepared to take -200 for Moreno, so the -175 is a fair price and he’s one of our UFC best bets. We would also include over 3½ rounds, which pays -125.
It should be a classic ding-dong battle for five rounds, so include the totals option in our UFC selections.
