What's Next: Moreno-Figuieredo Post UFC 270
If you haven't been following the flyweight division in the UFC as of late, then you may have missed out on the fact that Deiverson Figueredo and Brandon Moreno have somewhat of a history with one another. They have had 3 fights against each other, one most recently at UFC 270, when Figueredo recaptured the flyweight belt.
This begs the question, what’s the next step for both Figueredo and Moreno after UFC 270? If we take a look at the flyweight rankings, we’ll see that almost everyone else has a fixture. Askar Askarov and Kai Kara France are the biggest prospects right now. And as it stands, the two have a fight scheduled on 03/26/2022. And that’s not a faraway date either.
Since Askarov is third in the rankings, it would make perfect sense for him to get a shot a title shot if he manages to beat Kai Kara France. Kai Kara France, while on an impressive run of his own, is further down on the rankings list. Currently he takes the sixth spot, after Pantoja and Royval. If Kai Kara France should win, then it would be quite obvious Figueredo and Moreno would have a rematch.
Cody Garbrandt recently came into the flyweight division with a lot of fanfare. But Kara France proved he’s on another level by knocking Garbandt out. There’s few other options for the UFC matchmakers when it comes to the flyweight division.
Even if Askarov wins and calls for a title shot – it may still make sense for there to be a rematch between Figueredo and Moreno. Just think about it – the pair have fought three times already and they’ve achieved every single outcome of a fight. The first one was a majority draw and Figueredo retained his belt. Moreno choked Figueredo out in the second fight and took the belt. Lastly, Figueredo managed to deliver and outwork Moreno in their third fight at UFC 270. All three fights were certified bangers. Both Moreno and Figueredo proved that they are world-class warriors ready to go all out.
We’re not opposed to getting a fourth fight between the two if we were, to put it mildly. If we’re being real – we can’t wait to see the fourth fight between the two. If the UFC wants to take things to the next level, then matchmakers should consider Mexico or Brazil as the location for the next fight. Of course, this means one of the competitors will fight with a hostile crowd, which is never a pleasant thing (unless you’re Colby Covington). But the venue will be jam-packed either way.
It's usually the case rivals have one win each against each other. And these rivalries are then to be concluded with a “trilogy”. Figueredo and Moreno add a slight twist to the equation as it would take a fourth fight to settle things. We just hope that it won’t be a draw once again as it would only serve to further complicate things.