Figueiredo vs Moreno UFC 263 betting picks – June 12, 2021

Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno produced an instant classic in their last championship fight at UFC 256, which ended in a majority draw. Both men will be looking to score a decisive victory this time around when they clash for the UFC Flyweight Championship again at UFC 263 this Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.

Figueiredo vs Moreno UFC 263 fight preview

Deiveson Figueiredo (20-1-1) was 15-0 before suffering the first loss of his professional career to Jussier Formiga in March of 2019. The loss proved to be just a minor speed bump in Figueiredo’s ascension to the top of the flyweight division. Figueiredo won his next two fights to earn a title shot for the vacant UFC Flyweight Championship against Joseph Benavidez. The champion successfully defended his title twice with first-round submission wins over Benavidez and Alex Perez before settling for a draw in his five-round war with Brandon Moreno last December.

Brandon Moreno (18-5-2) is 15-2-2 over his last 19 fights since starting his career off with a 3-3 record back in 2011 and 2012. Moreno is currently on a six-fight unbeaten streak with a 4-0-2 record over that stretch. The 27-year-old entered his last fight against Figueiredo as an underdog in the +250 to +300 range, and barring any big line movements as this fight draws closer, he’s getting a bit more respect on the betting board this time around after fighting Figueiredo to a draw in what was UFC 256’s Fight of the Night.

Figueiredo vs Moreno predictions & best bets

There are a couple of factors working against Brandon Moreno in this fight. Deiveson Figueiredo was deducted a point in the third round of the last championship fight between these two which is what led to the draw, so without that penalty Figueiredo would have won by unanimous decision. More pressingly, Figueiredo wasn’t at 100% last time around. The champion was dealing with stomach issues that forced him to be hospitalized on both Friday and early Saturday morning the day of the fight.

Moreno is a legitimate championship contender. He has never been knocked out or submitted in his career, and his toughness was on clear display in the first fight against Figueiredo. But considering that Figueiredo was nowhere close to his best last time and still managed to fight to a draw, we’ve got to believe he’ll take care of business in this fight when he is back in true form.