Ready for the best UFC 256 betting picks? Because we've got them. This latest fight card is headlined by the bout between Deiveson Figueredo and Brandon Moreno. They'll both be back in the octagon despite having participated in separate matches during UFC 255, and this head-to-head promises to be a beauty.
Before we get to our UFC betting picks, though, here are the latest odds from Bovada:
| UFC 256 Favorite |  | | UFC 256 Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deiveson Figueiredo | -310 | +240 | Brandon Moreno |
| Tony Ferguson | -155 | +125 | Charles Oliveira |
| Ciryl Gane | -380 | +290 | Junior Dos Santos |
| Rafael Fiziev | -140 | +110 | Renato Moicano |
As always, be sure to confirm these lines before deciding on any wagers. The odds will move prior to the opening bell. Also, check out this page if you're new betting on the UFC. For now, let's get to our picks!
UFC 256 Betting Breakdown
Deiveson Figueiredo (-310) vs. Brandon Moreno (+240)
It is rare to see a fighter so heavily favored coming off such a quick turnaround. But Figueiredo is a worthwhile exception.
For starters, it helps that Moreno is working off his own victory at UFC 255. Mostly, though, Figueiredo reinforced what we already thought about him during his successful Flyweight Title defense: His fundamentals are almost flawless.
Like Alex Perez before him, Moreno will probably look to push the pace. That plays right into Figueiredo's repertoire. He likes opponents to go on the offensive early, so that they're not as quick and loose later when he's looking to land powerful combinations.
And make no mistake, his hits are POWERFUL. He generates so much force whether he's on the ground or fighting vertically. There's a reason he has just one loss to his resume, and it's primarily because he's a whiz at landing a high number of significant strikes per minute.
Perez's best hope is that Figueiredo battles inefficiency on his combinations following such a quick respite from his previous match. We're hardly counting on that. Figueiredo is on the verge of becoming a household name. This fight should prove why.
OSB Prediction: Deiveson Figueiredo (-310)
Tony Ferguson (-155) vs. Charles Oliveira (+125)
Oddsmakers are giving Tony Ferguson a ton of credit here, and it might not be for the most ironclad reasons.
Betting lines are often reflective of how the action to date has played out, and Ferguson is a fan favorite. His status could be the product of overexcitement. His fanbase is yearning to see his return to the Octagon after he spent so much of the past year grappling with injuries.
We can't bring ourselves to board this bandwagon. Ferguson is 36. He might not be done, but this is far from an ideal matchup for him. Charles Oliveira is on a seven-fight winning streak, and he's earned Performance of the Night honors on six of those occasions.
What's more, Oliveira is ridiculously skilled in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—kind of like prime Ferguson. The thing is, we no longer expect to see prime Ferguson. It's been too long.
OSB Prediction: Charles Oliveira (+125)
Ciryl Gane (-380) vs. Junior Dos Santos (+290)
Ciryl Gane is probably breathing a sigh of right now.
After a multitude of canceled fights amid the coronavirus pandemic, he's finally getting his shot. He hasn't entered the Octagon in an official capacity since defeating Tanner Boser via unanimous decision last December. In the time since that victory, four of his matches have received the boot.
That layoff could work against Gane, but he's catching Junior Dos Santos at the right time. On the heels of a three-fight winning streak, Dos Santos has since entered the first major skid of his career. Neither his speed nor his accuracy on strikes is what it was before. Both aspects of his rut are things a well-conditioned Gane should be able to capitalize on.
OSB Prediction: Ciryl Gane (-380)
Rafael Fiziev (-140) vs. Renato Moicano (+110)
It's taken some time, but two of the UFC's top featherweight contenders are finally ready to dance.
The initial match between Rafael Fiziev and Renato Moicano was rescheduled for UFC 256 after a positive COVID test derailed plans. Analysts and oddsmakers were having a tough time making heads and tails of this showdown back then. That hasn't changed now.
Fiziev is deservedly getting the slight edge. He is the much stronger kickboxer, and the foundation he's laid vertically with his improved Muay Thai mechanics makes him a dead-even match for Moicano on two feet.
In fact, don't be surprised if this fight fails to be as close as the odds suggest.
OSB Prediction: Rafael Fiziev (-140)
UFC 256 Parlay Recommendation
For this particular card, we recommend going with a straight-moneyline parlay on the top-four fights. Your betting slip would be as follows:
- Deiveson Figueiredo (-310)
- Charles Oliveira (+125)
- Ciryl Gane (-380)
- Rafael Fiziev (-140)
Rolling with two heavy favorites brings the potential profit down a bit, but you still have the potential to benefit from the Charles Oliveira pick. The prospective payout on this parlay is over 6-to-1. For every $100 you wager, you have the opportunity to win slightly over $644. That makes for a profit of over $544.
Feel free to tinker with the amount. You can also remove the Oliveira pick and invest in the remaining three fights. The resulting parlay still pays out nearly 3-to-1.
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