Flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and No. 1 contender Brandon Moreno battled to a draw at last night’s UFC 256. The outcome only scratches the surface of what was an instant UFC classic and sure to be candidate for fight of the year.
Going into the bout, a number of pundits believed Moreno to have a path to victory over Figueiredo. While not proving the critics 100% right, clearly they are on to something.
From the opening round, Moreno and Figueiredo exchanged wild power strikes. Neither combatant gave an inch despite each being rocked. Yet, it was an accidental low blow by Figueiredo in the third round that would turn the tide. The foul resulting in a point deduction that directly led to the draw on two of the three official scorecards. The low blow came after what appeared to be multiple eye pokes by Figueiredo one of which was caught by the referee and resulted in a break in the action for Moreno to recover.
While the result was a majority draw, allowing Figueiredo to retain his title. There we no losers in the bout. Figueiredo will undoubtedly continue to plow through the division, after this performance future looks bright for Moreno and all of a sudden everyone is paying attention to flyweight division!
Check out the highlights of Figueiredo vs Moreno here.