UFC Predictions: UFC 270: Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane

#2. UFC flyweight title: Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

Who will come out on top in the third meeting between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo?

When the UFC booked a relatively late-notice flyweight title bout between then-champ Deiveson Figueiredo and challenger Brandon Moreno in late 2020, it felt like a routine title defense for the Brazilian.

After all, he’d beaten Joseph Benavidez twice and then dealt with Alex Perez in a matter of seconds. However, Moreno proved to be a much trickier opponent. ‘Deus Da Guerra’ couldn’t put him away and the Mexican ended up eking out a draw, albeit largely based on the fact that Figueiredo had a point deducted.

When the two men rematched last year at UFC 263, though, to everyone’s surprise, Moreno completely outfought the Brazilian. He outstruck and dropped him before choking him out in the third round to claim the title.

They’re now set to meet for a third time, so the big question is whether Moreno’s win was a fluke. Can he recapture the magic and pull off another victory at UFC 270, or did he catch Figueiredo, who reportedly had a bad weight cut, on a terrible day?

It’s hard to say. On one hand, Moreno proved that he can take the best that Figueiredo has to offer during their first bout. On the other hand, though, that first fight also proved that the Brazilian is perhaps the more skilled man if he’s on form.

Figueiredo hits remarkably hard for a flyweight, has tremendous finishing skills in literally all areas and is about as explosive an athlete as you’ll find in any weight division.

In terms of weaknesses, his loss to Moreno was really the first time we’d seen him in genuine trouble in the UFC. If it was really caused by a bad weight cut, then he could well come in looking much better this time round and power past ‘The Assassin Baby’.

However, there is a chance that the Mexican is simply a bad match for Figueiredo, based around his sheer toughness and own abilities to finish. We’ve seen Moreno beaten before, but right now he seems to be operating on another level, like the initial draw with the Brazilian inspired him to higher things.

Overall then, simply based on that last meeting, it’s hard not to favor Moreno here. He knows he can beat Figueiredo and there are simply too many questions around the Brazilian and how he matches with this new and improved ‘Assassin Baby’ to pick him at UFC 270.

The Pick: Moreno via fourth-round submission