SMUGGLING DUDS UFC 256 GAMBLING GUIDE

Plagued by injuries and pull-outs this card is now final and is still stacked! Throw in the fact Dana White has confirmed 60 athletes will be cut from the current roster before the end of year; there is potential for a bunch of fight of the night contenders.

This is also our final UFC gambling guide of 2020 so all that’s left to say is Merry Christmas and thank you for your continued support.

Main Card (BT Sport)
Deiveson Figueiredo (c) vs. Brandon Moreno (Flyweight)
An easy night at the office in their previous bouts at UFC 255 means both have been fighters have been given a quick turn-around in terms of stepping back in to the Octagon. You really have to take your hat off to them, especially Figueirdo who has not really had a chance to celebrate his title defence, and has much more to lose here. A tremendous match up and are rather intrigued to see the outcome. For us, Figueiredo is at peak level in his career and looks too good right now. Moreno should hold his own for the first couple of rounds but expect to see a submission around the third or fourth round from a potential candidate for fighter of the year.
WINNER: Figueirdo
METHOD: Submission

Tony Ferguson vs. Charles Oliveira (Lightweight)
Charles Oliveira is one of those fighters that seems to have been around forever, but the difference is, he has never been labelled a gatekeeper because ‘Do Bronx’ is still a legit division contender and deserves full praise for his recent performances, proving doubters wrong in his win against Kevin Lee. Can he beat title Tony Ferguson? It really depends on how much the Gaithje fight took out of him (there is no denying some serious damage was absorbed) and if his normal/absolutely bonkers style of fighting has changed. A lot tougher to call than you may think this one but Ferguson should edge this one and move closer to another crack at the title.
WINNER: Ferguson
METHOD: Decision

Renato Moicano vs. Rafael Fiziev (Lightweight)
Taking nothing away Moicano, but he is in for rough time against the Phuket Top Team Muay Thai coach. We have waited a long time to see Rafael Fiziev back in action and hope he does not disappoint. Moicano does have the threat of sneaking in a submission so please don’t count him out.
WINNER: Fiziev
METHOD: KO/TKO

Kevin Holland vs. Ronaldo Souza (Middleweight)
Can veteran Souza silence the very loud Kevin Holland? Although the Brazilian has lost his previous two bouts (both decision losses including one to the now champion), he looked impressive and can still hang with the best. If the Jacare of old can make an appearance and we see him showcase his elite level ground skills he may get back to winning ways but we worry this one ends up in a kickboxing bout with Souza drawn into another brawl and ultimately, another decision loss.
WINNER: Holland
METHOD: Decision

Junior dos Santos vs. Ciryl Gane (Heavyweight)
We are sad to say this is pretty much a no brainer. Last year JDS showed fans glimpses of his glory days but finished 2019 getting flattened by Francis Ngannuo. 2020 has not been kind to him either. The Brazilian has had two fights and has been knocked out badly in both of them. A former champion can never be overlooked but unless ‘Cigano’ pulls something out the bag here (and its worth a bet for sure), new breed heavyweight Gane should either win convincingly by decision, or solidify the fact JDS needs to consider maybe not retiring from MMA, but certainly leaving the UFC.
WINNER: Gane
METHOD: KO/TKO

Preliminary Card (BT Sport )
Cub Swanson vs. Daniel Pineda (Featherweight)
Coming in on a 4-fight losing streak at 37 years of age, a win over rising star Kron Gracie in October 2019 really did save Swanson’s UFC career. Can he get another ‘W’ in 2020? We don’t think Swanson gets stopped but expect Pineda to win this one by unanimous decision.
WINNER: Pineda
METHOD: Decision

Mackenzie Dern vs. Virna Jandiroba (Women's Strawweight)
What a match-up this is! Both fighters are Jiu-Jitsu savages with track records in limb removal. A real tough one to call and we’ve changed our minds at least three time. If Dern can beat Jandiroba, it will be a real feather in her cap. Either could grind out a split decision. Hardest one to call on the card for sure.
WINNER: Dern
METHOD: Decision

Tecia Torres vs. Sam Hughes (Women's Strawweight)
The former TUF 20 star should take a relatively easy win over her late replacement opponent with her usual points winning style.
WINNER: Torres
METHOD: Decision

Early Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Gavin Tucker vs. Billy Quarantillo (Featherweight)
As stated in our intro, this card features some potential fight of the fight contenders with this being one of them. Dana White Contender Series standout Quarantillo looked amazing in his last outing but this one is a solid test to see if he is ready to climb the featherweight ladder. Maybe leave this one off the accumulator.
WINNER: Tucker
METHOD: Decision

Sergey Spivak vs. Jared Vanderaa (Heavyweight)
The Polar Bear takes on The Mountain in this one as another product of Dana Whites Contender Series makes his UFC debut. Entering the Octagon on the back of a vicious knockout, can Vanderaa produce the goods against an established UFC heavyweight?
WINNER: Vanderaa
METHOD: KO/TKO

Chase Hooper vs. Peter Barrett (Featherweight)
At only 21 years of age, Chase Hooper remains the youngest active fighter on the UFC roster. At such a young age, Hooper came in as a bit of an enigma. Although he did come to light on Dana White’s Contender series, it wasn’t’ until he scored a win in his UFC debut that people got on board the hype train. A derailment against a very game Alex Caceres means he will be keen to build up momentum once again. At such a young age, the jury is still out on Hooper really being able to cut it in the UFC right now.
WINNER: Hooper
METHOD: Decision

UFC 256 WILD CARD BET: Junior dos Santos to defeat Ciryl Gane via Decision