Tomorrow night at UFC 255, the promotion is showcasing both the men’s and the women’s flyweight divisions. Both champions will defend their titles and in the main event of the evening Deiveson Figueiredo (19-1) takes on Alex Perez (24-5).
The fight will mark the first official title defense for the UFC champion, Figueiredo. Back in February, Figueiredo knocked out Joseph Benavidez in a fight that was supposed to be for the UFC title.
However, Figueiredo missed weight and the title wasn’t on the line. Figueiredo then fought Benavidez again in July for the title and ran through him after making weight. Deiveson Figueiredo looks like an absolute force at flyweight.
Figueiredo is very big for the weight class and he has great skills everywhere. He’s got good striking with tremendous power and he’s incredibly slick on the ground. Figueiredo can lull you to sleep with his deliberate pace but his long arms and power catches opponents off guard.
Standing across from the champion will be contender series veteran, Alex Perez. Perez earned his shot in the UFC back in 2017 and has only lost to Joseph Benavidez since in seven fights with the promotion.
Perez also has a very well rounded skillset and he has tremendous leg kicks. Back at UFC 250, Perez finished Jussier Formiga with a heavy dose of calf kicks. Perez definitely has the skills to put up a fight against the champion.
UFC 255 Prediction
The UFC 255 main event should be a fun one for however long it lasts. Both Figueiredo and Perez are very well rounded fighters so I think it should be relatively even during some of the exchanges.
However, I think there’s a clear favorite in this one and that would be the champion. I’m expecting Perez to come out and try to start fast, but I expect Figueiredo to just be waiting and picking his shots.
There is no one at flyweight that possesses the power of Figueiredo. He also has this killer instinct and he seems to be taking his career seriously. I’m expecting Perez to have some moments early, but those will only come as Figueiredo is figuring out the fight.
I think in the second round, you’ll see the champion really start to settle in. Expect a back and forth early, but I see a big shot closing the show late in the second round tomorrow night. Figueiredo will retain his UFC title tomorrow night.
Prediction: Deiveson Figueiredo by TKO – Round 2