Tag: Diego Ferriera

Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rebecki prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 56

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a quick look at the UFC on ESPN 56 bout between Diego Ferreira and Mateusz Rebecki.

[autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] and [autotag]Mateusz Rebecki[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 56 from Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rebecki UFC on ESPN 56 preview

Ferreira (18-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) and Rebecki (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) compete in the lone lightweight bout on the main card. … Ferreira will look to remain in the win column following a knockout win of Michael Johnson last year, which snapped a three-fight kid. … Rebecki only has one loss on his professional record, which came in just his fourth pro fight. He has since won 16 straight, including stoppages in his Dana White Contender Series appearance, and his first two UFC bouts (Loik Radzhabov and Roosevelt Roberts).

Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rebecki expert pick, prediction

In what is easily the best offering on the main card, [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] will welcome [autotag]Mateusz Rebecki[/autotag] to the next level of the UFC lightweight ladder.

A tried-and-true member of lightweight’s upper echelons, Ferreira has either competed with or beaten some of the best his division has to offer.

Despite stepping onto the scene as a brawling Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Ferreira has sharpened his striking skills while cross-training between his personal fight team and Fortis MMA.

Although Ferreira showed excellent in-fight adjustments in his last outing opposite southpaw Michael Johnson, the 39-year-old veteran still shows some susceptibility to southpaw counters and bodywork.

Considering that Rebecki brings plenty of both with his pressuring style, I suspect the Polish ADCC champion could be a uniquely tricky matchup for Ferreira when factoring in the wrestling and grappling-savvy of “Rebeasti.”

I’m tempted to pick Ferreira to pull off the upset at his current betting odds, but I’ll instead semi-reluctantly side with Rebecki and his southpaw pressure to produce a finish toward the end of round 2.

Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rebecki odds

The oddsmakers and the public heavily favor the Polish fighter this weekend, listing Rebecki at -500 and Ferreira as a sizable underdog at +360 via FanDuel. Ferreira has been an underdog in three of his last four, but no higher than +200. Rebecki enters as a favorite yet again, a familiar position. From his Dana White’s Contender Series bout to his first three UFC bouts, he has been listed anywhere from a slight -155 favorite to a massive -800 favorite.

Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rebecki start time, how to watch

As the third bout on the main card, Ferreira and Rebecki are expected to make their walk to the octagon around 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. PT). The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

For more detailed analysis from Dan Tom, check out his weekly show, “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.”

Diego Ferreira explains 17-month layoff ahead of UFC Fight Night 224 return vs. Michael Johnson

It’s been a long time away for Diego Ferriera, but he’s ready to resume swimming with the sharks in the UFC’s lightweight division.

LAS VEGAS – UFC lightweight [autotag]Diego Ferriera[/autotag] has been out of action for a lot longer than he anticipated, but is now just days away from a chance to get his career back on track.

At Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 224 at the UFC Apex, Ferreira (17-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) makes his long-awaited return to the cage after over 17 months on the sidelines to face fellow veteran Michael Johnson. The lightweight bout streams on ESPN+ and opens the main card.

Ferreira was on one of the hottest streaks in the always-stacked UFC’s lightweight division from 2016-2020. During that stretch, Ferreira won six in a row, with stoppages of Jared Gordon, Kyle Nelson, and former champion Anthony Pettis. Then the calendar flipped to 2021, where things took a sharp turn for the worse as Ferreira lost three straight and suffered an injury keeping him out of action longer than expected.

“It was under my collarbone, my rib. Like a light fracture,” Ferreira told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “It took me a real good time to recover, but now I’m back and better than ever. It took me that time to focus on myself. … I was not in a rush to get back after an injury.”

Ferreira said he slowly ramped up his training while not pressing things too hard, despite the itch of wanting to compete in the octagon. He returned to the BJJ mats to keep his skills sharp, but didn’t press it too much in the hope of avoiding a further setback.

“It was more of a focus on myself, especially after the few losses I had,” Ferreira said. “I kind of took my time to see what was going to be my focus. I took that time to talk to my family, with my coaches to see what I need to change. After the Anthony Pettis fight, I kind of thought I wasn’t supposed to be training as much. Especially being in the rankings, in there between the sharks. I was not putting that much effort no more. I was just like, ‘OK. I need to maintain.'”

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As for his main card opponent Johnson (21-18 MMA, 13-14 UFC), Ferriera knows exactly what he’s about to get into, but is ready to get back into the swing of things for another run in the stacked lightweight division.

“I know Johnson’s going to bring the best out of me, and I’m expecting that,” Ferreira said. “I’m expecting that he comes like fireballs on his hands and I’ll be there to accept and take it to the deep ocean and see what the fight’s going to bring to myself.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 224.

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UFC Fight Night 184 results: Beneil Dariush outgrapples Diego Ferreira for decision win

Beneil Dariush extended his winning streak to six after a high-level scrap with Diego Ferreira.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] and [autotag]Diego Ferriera[/autotag] displayed a little bit of everything when they fought Saturday at UFC Fight Night 184.

Multifaceted elements of mixed martial arts were on full display for three rounds before Dariush (20-4-1 MMA, 14-4-1 UFC) was declared the victor by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) in the lightweight main-card opener at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The first round started off a grappling affair but quickly turned into a slugfest. Dariush landed the first major strike of the fight, a body shot that temporarily crumpled Ferreira (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC). Despite the adversity, Ferreira survived to land some big shots in the final minute of Round 1.

Dariush controlled most of Round 2. Once again, his grappling appeared to be a step ahead of Ferreira, who threatened unsuccessful submission attempts off his back.

Round 3 mostly took place on the feet. As the round progressed, Dariush’s gas tank seemingly reduced, but he continued to push forward. At the direction of coach Sayif Saud, Ferreira stayed aggressive, but was ultimately taken down and held for most of the final minute of action.

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With the victory, Dariush’s winning streak ran to six. Prior to the win over Ferreira, Dariush defeated Thiago Moises, Drew Dober, Frank Camacho, Drakkar Klose, and Scott Holtzman in succession, a streak that dates back to November 2018.

As for Ferreira, the loss snaps a six-fight winning streak. Ferreira’s previous loss came against Dustin Poirier at UFC Fight Night 63 in April 2015.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 184 results include:

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