Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo prediction, choose: Ex-champs in Macau

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to interrupt down the most important fights within the UFC. As we speak, he takes a more in-depth have a look at the UFC Combat Night time 248 primary occasion between Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo.

Petr Yan UFC Combat Night time 248 preview

Petr Yan

Staple information:

• Document: 17-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC
• Peak: 5’7″ Age: 31 Weight: 135 lbs. Attain: 67″
• Final combat: Choice win over Music Yadong (March 9, 2024)
• Camp: Tiger Muay Thai (Thailand)
• Stance/hanging type: Swap-stance/muay Thai
• Danger administration: Honest

Supplemental information:
+ Former UFC bantamweight champion
+ ACB bantamweight title
+ Grasp of sports activities in boxing
+ 7 KO victories
+ 1 submission win
+ 3 first-round finishes
+ KO Energy
+ Constructing tempo and strain
+ Wonderful footwork
^ Shifts stances, takes angles
+ Correct left hand
^ Jabs, hooks and crosses
+ Robust inside the clinch
^ Protection, journeys, strikes off the breaks
+ Stable wrestling skill
^ Scrambles nicely

Deiveson Figueiredo UFC Combat Night time 248 preview

Deiveson Figueiredo

Staple information:

• Document: 17-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC
• Peak: 5’5″ Age: 36 Weight: 135 lbs. Attain: 68″
• Final combat: Choice win over Marlon Vera (Aug. 3, 2024)
• Camp: Crew Figueiredo (Brazil)
• Stance/hanging type: Swap-stance/muay Thai
• Danger administration: Honest

Supplemental information:
+ Former 2x UFC flyweight champion
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Regional grappling accolades
+ 9 KO victories
+ 9 submission wins
+ 11 first-round finishes
+ KO energy
+ Properly-timed proper arms/uppercuts
^ Coming ahead or off the counter
+ Laborious calf kicks
+ Slicing elbows from a number of ranges
+ Robust contained in the clinch
+ Improved wrestling skill
^ Stable reactive pictures
+ Transitions nicely from topside
^ Harmful strikes and submissions

Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo focal point: The right kinds combat

Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

The primary occasion in Macau contains a combat that I’ve been begging for for roughly half a decade now.

Even with Deiveson Figueiredo nonetheless being a flyweight contender again in 2019, I couldn’t assist however see the Brazilian as the proper dance associate for the stylings of Petr Yan.

A ferocious competitor, Yan implements an offense-heavy strategy that’s each analyst and fan-friendly given how aggressively he works his opposition towards the fence. Whether or not Yan is working from orthodox or southpaw, the 31-year-old phenom usually conducts visitors together with his left hand, wielding a bevy of correct weapons from that aspect.

From straight pictures down the middle that vary from jabs to crosses to sneaky hooks and uppercuts off the lead aspect, Yan can just about do all of it from boxing vary. The Tiger Muay Thai product may even combine in different issues like kicks, knees and elbows into his repertoire – although he appears to well save that shot choice for his assaults off of the breaks.

Yan does a deceptively good job on the defensive finish, subtly rolling with oncoming pictures whereas protecting his eyes on his opponent with returns in thoughts. That stated, shifting aggression – irrespective of who’s on the steering wheel – tends to be a ripe recipe in regard to opportunistic counters.

Enter Figueiredo.

Showing to be a pressure-fighting wildman on the Brazilian regional scene, Figueiredo has seemingly sharpened his type and strategy since touching down within the UFC octagon. Figueiredo nonetheless depends closely upon his head and trunk motion however will now add a long-framing protection from each stances, in addition to flick out extra jabs and straight pictures to assist set up his vary.

This strategy each accentuates Figueiredo’s size, in addition to entices dangerous entries from his opposition that open them up for the Brazilian’s highly effective counters. Whether or not Figueiredo is unloading counter crosses or uppercuts, the previous flyweight champ has historically demonstrated stellar timing and anticipation to go together with his John Lineker-like energy and knockdown charge.

Figueiredo has additionally leaned extra on his calf kicks since his sequence with Brandon Moreno, demonstrating the flexibility to land stance-altering pictures at vary. Though attacking Yan’s decrease extremities will seemingly serve Figueiredo nicely, defensive susceptibility to calf kicks seems to be yet one more potent two-way road on this matchup.

Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo breakdown: Shield your neck

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Deiveson Figueiredo (pink gloves) fights Cody Garbrandt (blue gloves) throughout UFC 300 at T-Cellular Area. Obligatory Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports activities

Contemplating that Figueiredo has arguably leaned heavier on his grappling expertise since shifting as much as bantamweight, necks may very well be on discover in Macau.

Fortunately for Yan, the Russian fighter is way from a slouch in closed quarters.

Akin to fighters like Merab Dvalishvili, Yan’s grappling sport additionally incorporates numerous sambo and judo affect concerning each his wrestling and submission sensibilities. Whether or not Yan’s hitting disruptive foot sweeps or attacking submissions off transitions, he seldom appears to be misplaced, providing up solutions that contain delicate however good wrist controls within the course of.

Regardless of being bested by Dvalishvili and his teammate Aljamain Sterling, Yan has additionally proven instruments to assist shut down equally styled grapplers prior to now who shared the offensive threats of Figueiredo.

In his first combat towards Magomed Magomedov, for instance, Yan needed to continuously shake a sambo champion off of his again on account of his propensity to tripod to his base in scrambles.

Of their rematch, nonetheless, Yan was in a position to make some key changes that concerned a stronger emphasis on attaching whizzers as momentum stoppers – which is a brilliant adjustment for a fighter who has fast hip triggers and may shift backward when he must.

Since Yan’s battles with Magomedov, the previous UFC champion nonetheless inherently tripods in scrambling eventualities however is wise about swimming his arms and re-wrestling from stated positions.

However, regardless of Yan’s knack for turning protection into offense, he’ll nonetheless be enjoying with fireplace anytime he permits for again publicity towards a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt like Figueiredo. And in relation to offensive grappling, Yan may even nonetheless must thoughts giving his head on level-changing pictures given Figueiredo’s confirmed guillotine threats.

Though Figueiredo is arguably identified extra for his hanging threats on the toes, the previous flyweight – who earned a number of grappling accolades throughout his time spent below Marajo Brothers Crew – interprets his energy simply superb within the grappling division.

Extra of a positional-based participant who carries misleading transitional savvy, Figueiredo likes to use himself each within the clinch and from topside, seemingly taking nice pleasure in making his opposition really feel his weight and power.

We noticed a ravishing instance of this in Figueiredo’s first assembly with Joseph Benavidez, because the Brazilian defended takedowns properly each within the open and from the clinch. Doing an ideal job of breaking grips and framing off hips, Figueiredo not-so-subtly used his head to re-steer Benavidez in the direction of the fence, taking the surface place.

Nonetheless, if Figueiredo unsuccessfully sells out on guillotines (like he did towards Jared Brooks) or finally ends up on his again, then he’ll nonetheless seemingly must display some wholesome urgency to get again to a optimistic place contemplating the hellacious floor hanging that Yan possesses.

Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo odds

Petr Yan

The oddsmakers and the general public are closely favoring the youthful fighter, itemizing Yan -310 and Figueiredo +230 through FanDuel.

Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo prediction

Regardless of desirous to level to the playing house’s propensity to fade lighter-weight fighters north of 35 years previous, I can’t say that I disagree with the unfold listed above.

Figueiredo has arguably matured into a better and simpler counter fighter, however it appears like his endurance – each within the sturdiness and stamina division – actually took a success from his brutal sequence with Brandon Moreno.

Figueiredo’s punching energy appears to have adopted him simply superb to this weight class, whereas his counter takedowns assist fight opposition who are available scorching (which additionally supplies some pacing insurance coverage to assist cowl a suspect fuel tank). And although I might simply see Figueiredo placing Yan and his supporters by some early scares in each of stated phases, I consider that the hole between their builder vs. opportunist dynamic has solely widened at this level of their careers.

Say what you’ll about Yan’s propensity to provide away early rounds and up to date dropping streak – – the Russian solely will get stronger together with his reads and output because the combat goes on. Whereas Figueiredo, even in profitable efforts, has regarded like he’s strolling a superb line so far as holding it collectively/getting his profitable situations go.

I’m simply hoping that this combat – one I’ve been asking for since roughly early 2019 – delivers as a lot as I’ve dreamt of from a stylistic perspective. However at this level in Figueiredo’s profession, it’s laborious to not aspect with Yan to steadily take the steering wheel from an initiative and pacing standpoint.

Late stoppages are definitely on the desk for “No Mercy,” however the official choose is Yan by unanimous determination.

Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo begin time, the place to look at

As the principle occasion, Magny and Prates are anticipated to make their walks to the octagon at roughly 8:30 a.m. ET. The combat streams dwell on ESPN+.

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC Combat Night time 248.