UFC 256 Live Coverage – Figueiredo Vs Moreno
GG has you covered with your UFC 256 live coverage. Deiveson Figuerido and Brandon Moreno have a quick one-PPV turnaround and main event the UFC’s final PPV of the year.
UFC 256 Live Coverage
UFC 256 opens with Cyril Gane facing Junior Dos Santos.
Cyril Gane Vs Junior Dos Santos
I tweeted this as Gane was entering the cage.
Cyril Gane physically looks like the MMA version of Anthony Joshua. #UFC256
— GG (@roheblius) December 13, 2020
And then Daniel Cormier said exactly the same thing. But it’s true. Gane isn’t as tall as Joshua, but he’s a big dude.
Gane turned the fight into a kick boxing match in the first round. Junior couldn’t turn it into a boxing match, which better fit his skillset. Gane was able to keep the distance for most of the round peppering him with some kicks and blistering him with others, especially in the midsection. JDS was able to land with a big punch late in the round. I gave Gane that round.
Gane decided to come inside and he hurt JDS with a jab, followed up with a knee to the side, and then followed up with an elbow to the near back of the head. Junior went down and it was over.
Winner: Cyril Gane by way of 2nd round TKO
Jacare Souza Vs Kevin Holland
Holland came out throwing and Jacare immediately took him down. Holland put his legs up and locked in like a triangle, but really was just using the position to throw elbows. Back on his feet, Holland had him in a guillotine, but Jacare picked him up and dropped him to the ground. Holland was talking smack from the bottom and then in a seated position, threw two long right hands and knocked Jacare out when both weren’t standing. That was ridiculous.
Winner: Kevin Holland by way of 1st round KO
Virna Jandiroba Vs Mackenzie Dern
Jandiroba is the much quicker athlete, but Dern looks to have more power in her hands. Dern’s hands are much improved over the year. Dern put her head down to get inside and then grabbed onto Jandiroba’s leg while up against the cage. They traded knees in the clinch, but were back in the center. Jandiroba landed a body kick. Dern wants to land the overhand right. Very close first round.
Jandiroba looks much more comfortable in the second. She also looks less tired than Dern. Jandiroba’s advantage is in her quickness and it’s showing in the second. Dern poked her in the eye and the fight stopped. Once the fight restarted, Dern went right at Jandiroba. She ate a knee and her nose was bloodied. Dern had Jandiroba in her guard, but blood was all over her face. Dern couldn’t get a hold of her leg when she wanted before the round ended. Fight is probably tied at one round a piece.
Both women are tired. Jandiroba’s eye looks swollen from the poke. Dern’s nose is still bleeding. Both women landed shots and Dern pushed Jandiroba back with one. Dern tried to go to the ground and was on her back, but had to get up. This round is so close. It’s really anyone’s round. Jandiroba jumped to her back at the end of the round. All that happened is that she ate a side fist by Dern. I’d give the overall fight to Dern, but 2-1 any way is fine.
Winner: Mackenzie Dern by way of unanimous decision
All scores had it 29-28 for Dern.
Charles Oliveira Vs Tony Ferguson
Oliveira dominated Ferguson in the first round. He beat him at every facet of the game. He out-landed him on the feet. He took him down and owned him on the ground. Right as the round was ending, Oliveira synched in an arm bar and Ferguson didn’t tap but it looked close to being done.
How did @TonyFergusonXT not tap to this armbar by @CharlesDoBronxs?! 🤯#UFC256 ▶️ https://t.co/WVX4zKCSVh pic.twitter.com/fBSMwIi1BB
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 13, 2020
Ferguson’s arm looks useless. He took Ferguson down again with ease. Oliveira was cut with an elbow, but he’s in top position. The fight was paused for an illegal up-kick by Ferguson. Oliveira had him on his back for the rest of the round.
Oliveira went for another takedown. Ferguson couldn’t even grab his head with his left arm like he wanted to. Oliveira slammed him down again. It seemed like Oliveira could’ve gone after the arm bar again, but didn’t, and really didn’t need to. Oliveira even had a triangle at one point. Ferguson had nothing for him tonight.
Winner: Charles Oliveira by way of unanimous decision
The scores were all 30-26 for Oliveira.
Brandon Moreno Vs Deiveson Figueiredo
These guys look like they’re fighting at different weight classes. Figueiredo looks two weight classes heavier than Moreno. Figueiredo is landing the stiffer shots, but Moreno is getting his as well. Because of Moreno’s defensive style, it was almost like Figueiredo wanted to knock him out and wasn’t really throwing combinations. He still won the round, but Moreno hung in there and delivered shots of his own.
Moreno is weathering the storm, and what’s interesting is if Figueiredo starts to get tired. But, in doing so, Moreno is having to eat some big shots. Moreno got a takedown, but Figueiredo poked his eye so the fight was paused. Figueiredo got up and they started trading big shots. Moreno is able to get Figueiredo to come out of his game just a bit. He’s goading him into only throwing big punches and hopefully for Moreno, tiring himself out at the same time. Moreno got another takedown late. Great fight so far.
Figueiredo is tiring himself out by trying to knock Moreno out, but he’s still hitting him enough to where Moreno can’t fully be comfortable. He’s still on his horse and moving. Figueiredo hits a big shot and it’s almost like he’s surprised Moreno is still up. As he was coming forward, Figueiredo kicked him right in the cup. It’s almost like the cup exploded. Figueiredo got docked one point, which could mean a ton of this fight goes to the end. Back on the feet, Figueiredo gets his first takedown. Moreno did a great job scoring near the end. From a stats perspective, Moreno won that round. But Figueiredo’s power is the difference in these strikes.
Figueiredo landed a left hook that would’ve dropped a middleweight. It buckled Moreno, but then Moreno landed big shots of his own. He wobbled Figueiredo with a kick. Figueiredo went for a takedown, but Moreno turned it over on him and drove him to the mat. Back on their feet, it’s Balboa and Creed. Figueiredo landed a big shot but then Moreno came back with big shots of his own and it looked like Figueiredo was hurt, but he’s like stone. Figueiredo put him up against the cage and looked to start unleashing hell, but Moreno grabbed him and threw him down for another takedown. Moreno started to talk Figueiredo and had Figueiredo walking backward maybe for the first time all night. This is fight of the year quality.
Figueiredo almost doesn’t know what to do. He’s hit Moreno with everything and Moreno keeps coming. Moreno is favoring his left arm. Neither guy is as active as they have been. They are exhausted. Figueiredo ended the fight throwing hammer fists at Moreno. I wouldn’t want to be a judge for this one.
Decision: Majority draw
The judges scored it 47-46 for Figueiredo, 47-47, and 47-47, so we have a majority draw.
