UFC Abu Dhabi: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov continues on the main card with the featured bout in the bantamweight division between Marlon Vera and Deiveson Figueiredo. Vera is coming off his first title defeat in his last fight where he lost via unanimous decision meanwhile, Figueiredo has now won back-to-back fights since moving up to the bantamweight division. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Vera-Figueiredo prediction and pick.
Marlon Vera (23-9-1) had his first crack at the UFC bantamweight title but ultimately dropped the decision to the champ Sean O’Malley at UFC 299. Vera is now just 1-2 over his last three fights. He comes into this fight looking to get back into the win column when he takes on the former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Deiveson Figueiredo (23-3-1) decided it was time to move up in weight after losing his UFC flyweight title for the final time against Brandon Moreno. For Figueiredo, it’s so far so good in his new weight class as he was able to defeat Rob Font and Cody Garbrandt in back-to-back fights setting him up for the biggest fight of his bantamweight career when he takes on Marlon Vera this weekend.
Here are the UFC Abu Dhabi Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Abu Dhabi Odds: Marlon Vera-Deiveson Figueiredo Odds
Marlon Vera: +125
Deiveson Figueiredo: -145
Over 2.5 rounds: -325
Under 2.5 rounds: +250
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Why Marlon Vera Will Win
Marlon “Chito” Vera is coming off his first title loss at UFC 299 where he dropped a unanimous decision to the champion Sean O’Malley in a one-sided beatdown. While Vera was competitive in spurts, O’Malley was in full control throughout the entire fight but wasn’t able to put him away putting his toughness on full display. Vera will be looking to get back into the win column when he takes on the surging former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.
Vera is by far the toughest fighter in the bantamweight division never been knocked out or submitted in his UFC career which is really a testament to his long MMA journey. He has the skills to finish anyone that stands in front of him anywhere the fight goes. Whether it stays on the feet or hits the mat Vera can get the job done. In this matchup against Deiveson Figueiredo, Vera is going to have the advantage in his wide array of attacks especially with his kicks like the front kick that sent poor Frankie Edgar to the shadow realm. He also will have the power advantage on the feet as well and while he is a black belt he is better suited to keep this fight on the feet and at range where he can punish Figueiredo. As long as Vera doesn’t start slow like he normally does and pushes the pace taking the fight to Figueiredo he has the chance to get back into the win column this weekend.
Why Deiveson Figueiredo Will Win
Deiveson Figueiredo looks like a brand new fighter ever since moving up in weight. He has now won back-to-back fights to kickstart his bantamweight career as he most recently submitted Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300. Figueiredo will be looking for his biggest win to date when he takes on Marlon Vera this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Figueiredo looks as if his cardio woes are a thing of the past now that he doesn’t have to cut down to 125 lbs. He went a hard 15 minutes with a mainstay at the top of the division Rob Font before blowing through Cody Garbrandt in his next fight. He has been mixing up his strikes with his grappling quite well and it’s really been his grappling that’s been the biggest difference-maker in this fight. Showing how Vera was taken down and controlled in previous fights this would be the best path to victory for Figueiredo in this matchup. As long as he can avoid getting into a firefight with Vera and lands the takedowns he can make it three in a row in his new division and keep climbing the bantamweight rankings.
Final Marlon Vera-Deiveson Figueiredo Prediction & Pick
This should be a great scrap between these two bantamweight contenders and a win from either of these two could put them one more win away from a potential title shot. Ultimately, Vera is going to find success on the feet early but it will be the grappling of Figueiredo that will make the difference in this fight as he lands his shots on the feet and mixes in the takedowns to rack up valuable control time throughout the fight getting the nod on the judge’s scorecards.
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Final Marlon Vera-Deiveson Figueiredo Prediction & Pick: Deiveson Figueiredo (-145), Over 2.5 Rounds (-325)
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