Mitchell Thoennes 
UFC 256 Figueiredo vs Moreno DFS Card Breakdown
This is the UFC 256 Figueiredo vs Moreno DFS Card Breakdown where we are going to see Deiveson Figueiredo put his Flyweight belt on the line for the second time in just three weeks. This card is currently scheduled for 11 fights with two early prelims, four prelims, and five main card matchups. In this article I will breakdown the main event and three other fights that I am confident will end early to maximize value. I will be playing on DraftKings and using their pricing. Chase Hooper is the most expensive fighter on DraftKings at $9,300 but is not the largest betting favorite in Vegas. The largest betting favorite belongs to Ciryl Gane at -470. We have a stacked card that I’m excited for this weekend so lets break it down!
Tony Ferguson – ($8,600) vs Charles Oliveira – ($7,600)
It is difficult to look past this fight when it comes to early finish potential. Each of these fighters previous three matchups have ended early. Ferguson got beat up in the Gaethje fight although he did manage to get 136 significant strikes and showed one hell of a chin. Ferguson will likely need to defend the takedown in this fight and he has great takedown defense at 75%. If this fight stays standing, I give the edge to Ferguson and his +1.8 strikes landed to absorbed.
Oliveira is a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, so it will be tough to give anyone the advantage over him on the mat. He has finished 19 of his 29 wins by submission. In Oliveira’s 37 fight professional career just three fights have gone to the final bell. Oliveira has shown some hands and power with two knockdowns in his last three bouts. I will be taking Ferguson in this fight by knockout but wouldn’t be surprised if he got submitted either.
Selection – Tony Ferguson ($8,600) – 2nd round KO/TKO
Chase Hooper – ($9,300) vs Peter Barrett – ($6,900)
The odds are off for this fight in my opinion as Hooper is currently a -377 betting favorite. The line was originally above -400 in favor of Hooper. This kid is young and raw still but has potential. His fight IQ is low as he rushes in and leans over his punches when he throws them. We see proof of this with his low 35% strike defense. That led to Hooper getting knocked down early in his most recent fight and allowed his opponent to score over 100 significant strikes. He has shown power and good Jiu Jitsu against other fighters, though. His strength of opponent is worrisome to me though.
Barret faced Zalal in his last fight and Zalal never stops moving and is constantly coming from different angles. In that fight Barrett did get knocked down early and survived a flurry of punches. Barrett, like Hooper, absorbs a ton of shots with a 36% strike defense. Looking back at his Contender Series win he is a good striker and can strike with volume in a fight. If Hooper rushes forward and doesn’t move his head, I think Barrett could have an amazing night as the lowest priced fighter on DraftKings. This fight wont go the distance and I really like what Barrett lets me do with the rest of my lineup.
Selection – Peter Barrett – ($6,900) 1st round KO/TKO
Ciryl Gane – ($9,200) vs Junior Dos Santos – ($7,000)
Rising heavyweight Ciryl Gane will come in as the largest favorite on the slate at -470 against UFC veteran Junior Dos Santos. If we look at Gane he has shown he can do it all with 2 finishes by submission in the UFC. He has a fantastic striking game as well with a +3.03 in strikes landed to absorbed according to UFC stats. A superior strike defense of 73% is a big reason to the positive strike ratio. Gane out struck his latest opponent Tanner Boser by more than double in a decision win.
Let’s have a look at Junior Dos Santos who has lost three straight fights by knockout before the end of the second round. He has been finished early in seven of his eight losses as a pro, and just six of his twenty-nine fights have gone the distance. His fights are fun to watch given the power he provides showing that with 14 knockdowns and 15 UFC wins. The level of competition Dos Santos has faced is spectacular but with three straight early losses its tough to pick him.
Selection – Ciryl Gane – ($9,200) 1st round KO/TKO
Deiveson Figueiredo – ($9,000) vs Brandon Moreno – ($7,200)
It was just three weeks ago that we broke down a Figueiredo fight as he will attempt to defend his Flyweight belt again against Brandon Moreno at UFC 256. For Figueiredo I still believe he has the most power in the weight class and is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The Jiu Jitsu was on full display as the first scramble on the mat allowed Deiveson to lock in the Guillotine early in the first round. Figueiredo has finished four straight fights before the end of the second round and 17 of his 20 wins before the final bell. I have him getting the finish before the end of the second round. It’s just hard for me to think Figueiredo feels threatened by Moreno if he’s putting his belt up for grabs this quickly.
I’m not saying Moreno is a bad fighter but he was getting beat on the feet against Brandon Royval in his last fight. Moreno was holding his hands low in that fight and got popped several times by Royval as well. If he does that with Figueiredo in the octagon it will be lights out. Last fight Moreno got credited with a first round TKO but I’d say it was more due to injury as Royval dislocated his shoulder. In a post online Royval had said he was attempting to put it back into place himself mid fight when Moreno capitalized on the ground and pound. I will have 100% of the main event with 80% Figueiredo and 20% Moreno.
MORE FIGHTERS I LIKE
Daniel Pineda – GPP – ($8,300)
Kevin Holland – GPP – ($8,200)
Virna Jandiroba– GPP – ($7,500)
Closing Thoughts
Thank you for reading my UFC 256 Figueiredo vs Moreno DFS Card Breakdown. Don’t forget to hop in the Discord Chat rooms as myself and other WinDaily staff members will keep you up to date on the latest news. That is extremely important during these special times as last week’s card crumbled shortly before lock. Not to mention this was a thirteen-fight card and now dropped to eleven. Tecia Torres also received a replacement opponent in Sam Hughes. Enjoy this amazing card and good luck this weekend!
