For the second time in three weeks, Deiveson Figueiredo will defend his flyweight title in the main event of UFC 256. Cageside Press has its picks set.
| Staff Writers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fortune (149-74) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Jay Anderson (145-78) |  | |  |  | |
| Joe McDonagh (125-82) | | | | | |
| Josh Evanoff (119-81) | |  | | | |
| Mike McClory (62-45) | | | | | |
| Gabriel Gonzalez (126-97) | | | | | |
| Dan Doherty (122-96) | | | | | |
| Justin Gibbons (101-86) | | | | | |
| Doug Murray (9-7) | | | | | |
| Eddie Law (75-77) | | | | |  |
The main event of UFC 256 pits exciting flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo against Brandon Moreno. Both men won just 21 days ago, with Figueiredo defending his belt against Alex Perez and Moreno stopping Brandon Royval. All but one writer picked the champion.
In the co-main event, longtime lightweight contender Tony Ferguson will look to avoid the first losing streak of his career against the red hot Charles Oliveira. Ferguson recently saw his fantastic 12-fight win streak come to an end at the hands of Justin Gaethje. Oliveira, who’s been in the UFC since 2010, has heated up recently, winning seven-straight fights and stopping each opponent. The picks were split at five apiece.
Grapplers Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba will battle on the main card. Dern, a jiu-jitsu expert, has submitted two consecutive opponents since suffering the first loss of her career. Jandiroba, who is a former Invicta FC champion, has also submitted two straight opponents after falling to Carla Esparza in her promotional debut. All but one writer picked Dern.
Kevin Holland will look to cap off his excellent 2020 when he takes on Jacare Souza. Holland is 4-0 this year with three knockouts, emerging as a fan-favorite with his high work-rate. Souza hasn’t fought this year and is looking to snap a two-fight losing streak that included a stop at light heavyweight.
Opening up the UFC 256 main card will be a battle of old school vs. new school as Junior dos Santos faces heavyweight prospect Ciryl Gane. JDS is a former heavyweight champion but has struggled in recent fights, getting knocked out in three straight bouts. Gane is expected to be a future top contender and is 6-0 in his career with half of those fights coming in the UFC. JDS was slightly favored, getting six of 10 picks.
