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Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez square off in a flyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 30 – also known as UFC Fight Night 172 – Saturday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility on Yas Island, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 8 p.m. ET.
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Figueiredo (18-1) steps into the octagon one inch taller than Benavidez (28-6), while sporting a three-inch reach advantage (68″ to 65″). Figueiredo also holds tremendous advantages in the significant strikes-accuracy percentage department, 52.50 to 34.32, as well as takedown average, 1.81 to 1.50, takedown accuracy, 50.0 to 30.69 percent, and submission average, 2.36 to 0.63. There’s a reason Figueiredo, who has only lost once in his pro career, is such a strong favorite in this rematch. “Deus Da Guerra” won by KO/TKO (Round 2, 1:54) in the previous meeting with Benavidez on Feb. 29 at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va.
In that bout, Benavidez did rain down 46 significant strikes to Figueiredo’s 25, but obviously, the Brazilian landed the ones which counted the most. Benavidez also had 10 leg shots to no attempts to the lower body for Figueiredo, so it will be interesting to see if the American employs that type of attack yet again. The southpaw Benavidez has seen three of his past four bouts finish inside the distance.
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Benavidez betting odds
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 7:30 a.m. ET.
Figueiredo (-213) won the first match in Round 2. Betting him on the 2-way line is a bit of a risky proposition, however, so get a little more specific. You can get FIGUEIREDO BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (+100) at even money, which is quite a bit more attractive. Of course, if the fight goes the distance, or Benavidez (+175) pulls the upset, you’ll be on the short end. Still, taking that 5-way line is a better way to minimize your risk.
As far as length of the fight, taking No (-200): Will the fight go the distance? is a bit pricy, too. A better value is taking UNDER 4.5 ROUNDS (-162), and save a little bit of scratch.
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