It’s sometimes easy to fall victim to hyperbole any time at entertaining fight transpires in the combat sports world. But the UFC 256 main event of Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno did more than just entertain — it earned itself a spot on the short list of candidates for Fight of the Year.
In a wildly entertaining brawl, Figueiredo managed to defend his flyweight title on just 21 day’s notice. It was not a decisive defense, mind you. Not even a win. Instead, after showing his power throughout the five round affair, but meeting a game and equally determined Moreno round after round, the fight ended in a draw. Helped along by a point deduction for the champ, care of a low blow.
The end result didn’t dampen the feel after the fight any. In fact, it may have actually helped the anticipation for a rematch, which would be a very easy sell. All of a sudden, barely a year removed from being on the chopping block, flyweight is one of the hottest divisions in the UFC.
Not surprisingly, Figueiredo vs. Moreno earned Fight of the Night honors at UFC 256. The Performance of the Night bonuses, meanwhile, went to Kevin Holland, who stopped Jacare Souza via knockout while on his back, and Rafael Fiziev — who dropped Renato Moicano in a heartbeat.
All four fighters will pick up an extra $50,000 USD for their efforts, as usual.
