Can Brandon Moreno take out Deiveson Figueiredo in Brazil?
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we’ll be discussing the co-main UFC 283 event.
UFC 283 takes place Saturday at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. After prelims broadcast on ABC, and early prelims broadcast on ESPN+, the main card will air on pay-per view.
Deiveson Figueiredo (21-2-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC)
Deiveson Figueiredo
Information about staples:
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Height: 5’5″ Age: 35 Weight: 125 lbs. Reach: 68″
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Last fight Decision win over Brandon Moreno (Jan. 22, 2022)
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Camp: Team Figueiredo (Brazil)
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Stance/striking style – Switch-stance/muay Thai
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Risk management: Fair
Additional info:
+ 2x UFC flyweight champion
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Regional grappling awards
+ 9 KO victories
+ 8 Submission wins
+ 11 first round finishes
+ KO power
+ Well-timed right hands/uppercuts
Moving forward or off the Counter
+ Cutting elbows from multiple ranges
+ Strong in the clinch
+ Improved wrestling abilities
+ Well-Transitioned from the topside
Dangerous submissions and strikes
+/- 1-1-1 series with Moreno
Brandon Moreno (20-6-2 MMA, 8-3-2 UFC)
Brandon Moreno
Information about staples:
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Height: 5’7″ Age: 29 Weight: 125 lbs. Reach: 70″
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Last fight TKO win over Kai Kara-France (July 30, 2022)
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Camp: Fortis MMA (Texas/Las Vegas)
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Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
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Risk management: Fair
Additional info:
+ Former UFC flyweight champ/interim titleholder
+ Titles for Regional MMA
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Numerous grappling awards
+4 KO wins
+ 11 submission wins
+ 8 First-round Finishes
+ Consistent pace & pressure
+ Accurate left hook
Moving forward or off the Counter
+ Head kicks and hard leg
It works well from the lead side
+ Increased wrestling abilities
+ Excellent transitional grappler
Submissions and scrambles
Figueiredo – +/-1-1-1
Point of Interest: What’s the fourth chance at charm?
Jan 22, 2022 Anaheim, California USA. Brandon Moreno competes with Deiveson Figuerodo (blue glove) at UFC 270. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports
UFC 283’s comain event features the fourth fight for the title between [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag].
Their fight at UFC 256 began as an impromptu match that quickly turned into a full-blown war. For my money, Figueiredo scored the more damaging strikes through four of the five rounds, landing hard kicks while looking to counter Moreno’s jab over the top.
Both men demonstrated good bodywork. But Moreno’s heart and durability helped him push through some hard fouls in the process of making it a competitive fight down the stretch.
The rematch happened the following year at UFC 263, where Figueiredo was favored to defend his title. Figueiredo was unfortunate to have yet another bad weight cut. He appeared slower and less willing to strike straight out of the gates.
Moreno was not only able establish a greater kicking initiative but he also was able drop and stun Figueiredo several times with a punch, ultimately submitting the Brazilian in Round 3.
Figueiredo was a little closer to his best in their fight last year at UFC 270.
Taking back his kicking initiative with a few more feints in tow, Figueiredo was able to find counters to Moreno’s jab and create big moments that helped him seal rounds in what was a competitive contest.
Moreno, to his credit, also had some moments when looking to counter Figueiredo’s kicks, but the Mexican fighter was ultimately too carefree when it came to damage, allowing his foe to get ahead on the cards.
Figueiredo was able to grasp the countering dynamics of the fight and eventually earned his title back with a unanimous decision.
Figueiredo & Moreno look in top shape heading into Saturday, so we hope to get a definitive outcome Saturday.
Point of interest
January 22, 2022, Anaheim, California USA. Brandon Moreno (red gloves), competes against Deiveson Figuerodo (blue gloves) at UFC 270 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports
Both men have made adjustments outside the cage since their last meeting.
Moreno moved his training camp to Stateside before his UFC 277 match with Kai Kara France. This was in order to train with James Krause, Glory MMA, and other members of the Glory MMA team.
Moreno won that fight with an improved offensive as well as defensive awareness of kicks. Nevertheless, it should be noted Moreno still took a decent amount of damage in under 15 minutes (though I’d argue that’s more of a credit to Kara-France’s skills and game plan than it is an indictment of Moreno’s game).
I’ll also be curious to see if Moreno keeps the more-narrow stance that he showed off in his last contest considering that he’ll be making yet another camp change.
Forced to move on from Glory MMA due to the ongoing gaming investigation involving Krause and others, Moreno now finds himself working with Fortis MMA’s head coach, Sayif Saud.
Not only is Saud a good coach and game planner, but he’s also an enthusiastic cornerman who constantly reminds his fighters to keep their numbers up and to stick to the plan. And considering how Moreno’s last fight against Figueiredo played out, Saud may arguably be a perfect fit for his corner.
You also can argue Figueiredo’s pace left a bit to be desired last time out, which makes me curious to see what the current champ has in store.
Figueiredo appeared to have stayed in Brazil to prepare for the proverbial home match despite his solid game plan, which included feints and leg kicks as well as distance management (seeming staples at Fight Ready camp).
“Deus Da Guerra” has reportedly done some crosstraining with Charles Oliveira and his Chute Boxe team, so I’ll be curious to see if any noticeable changes or additions are made to Figueiredo’s game. However, I doubt that any significant changes will be made in the grappling section.
Even though I’ve given Figueiredo the wrestling edge in previous breakdowns, it’s not difficult to argue that the grappling in this series has favored Moreno more. Figueiredo may have been the better ground-striker between them, but Alexandre Pantoja has not been able dominate Moreno’s grappling world.
Add in both fighters’ superb scrambling abilities, and I believe that this battle will likely be decided on the feet.
Point of Interest: Opinions and Odds
Deiveson Figueiredo, Brandon Moreno
These two closely matched pairs are finally being recognized by the public and oddsmakers. Tipico Sportsbook.
As I looked back at the series to see if there were any common threads, it was clear that the fighter who grabbed the kicking opportunity early had the most success down the stretch. In practice, extended exchanges were more favorable to Moreno. This is likely why Figueiredo struggled with retreats and pacing during their last contest.
As I said in previous breakdowns, Moreno is the better counter striker in extended exchanges, which – coupled with his durability – is something that forces Figueiredo to walk a fine line when it comes to his winning conditions.
Figueiredo has shown that he can win in spite of these obstacles. However, it is still difficult for me to predict his fights at this stage in his career.
Not only does Figueiredo seem to drain himself in drastic weight cuts to hit the flyweight limit, but the Brazilian is now 35 years old and has arguably shown some signs of durability issues as Moreno – despite coming up short the last time out – has quietly started to take over the steering as the finishing threat in this series.
For that reason, I’ll semi-reluctantly side with Moreno to do more down the stretch for a decision win – but don’t be surprised to see a finish if Figueiredo looks rough on the scales the day prior.
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