UFC Foundation
Saturday’s UFC 256 event is in the books, and now that the dust has settled in the “Fight Capital of the World,” it’s time to go to the scorecard to see who the big winners were at the UFC Apex.
1 – Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno
The “God of War” delivered one on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Of course, it takes two to put on a Fight of the Year candidate, and Brandon Moreno was right there with flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo for all five rounds before a draw verdict was rendered. It was a fair decision given the performances of both men, because this really was a fight no one deserved to lose. And they did it just three weeks after scoring finishes on the UFC 255 card on November 21. Needless to say, both men deserve a nice vacation after a furious end to 2020, but in 2021, can we see a rematch? Please?
2 – Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira is one of the most exciting – and best – fighters in MMA today. His dominant Saturday win over Tony Ferguson proved it. And while he may not have gotten his just due from some leading up to the bout after missing weight several times as a featherweight, that last miss was in 2016, and it’s time to recognize “Do Bronx” for his accomplishments. And if you need a refresher course, how about an eight-fight win streak with seven finishes, six Performance of the Night bonuses, and wins over Ferguson, Kevin Lee, Jim Miller and Clay Guida. And that’s just since 2018. Oliveira is for real.
3 – Cub Swanson
UFC 256 Highlight: Cub Swanson Knocks Out Pineda
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Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
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UFC 256 Highlight: Cub Swanson Knocks Out Pineda
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With renowned boxing trainer (and longtime coach) Joel Diaz in his corner, it was clear from the start that Cub Swanson wanted to show off his hands against Daniel Pineda, and while there were some grappling exchanges in their featherweight bout, the majority of the time, Swanson was throwing – and landing – and the result was a second-round knockout that saw “Killer Cub” deliver perhaps his best performance since beating Dooho Choi in 2016. When it was over, the emotion was clear in the face of the longtime contender, who came back from a long injury-induced layoff to extend his winning streak to two and set up what may be a big 2021 campaign.
4 – Kevin Holland
UFC 256: Kevin Holland Post-Fight Interview
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
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UFC 256: Kevin Holland Post-Fight Interview
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Already one of the most likeable folks on the roster, Kevin Holland has gone from character to contender in the space of 12 months, as he went 5-0 in a year that no one expected to see that kind of output from any fighter. But Holland dared to be great, stepped up whenever the phone rang, and now he enters 2021 as a serious threat at 185 pounds after knocking out Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza on Saturday night. What will he do for an encore? It’s going to be fun finding out.
5 – Rafael Fiziev
UFC 256 Highlight: Rafael Fiziev Knocks Out Moicano
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
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UFC 256 Highlight: Rafael Fiziev Knocks Out Moicano
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There are a lot of great strikers in the UFC, but there’s a purity to Rafael Fiziev’s attack that is just beautiful (and frightening) to watch. It’s all so fast, crisp and technical, that a moment’s lapse of focus or defense means it’s the end of your night. I don’t know too many who will want to stand with “Ataman” after his last two bouts with Marc Diakiese and Renato Moicano, but if they do, expect a show.