UFC 255: Figueiredo vs. Perez Betting Preview
Both flyweight titles will be on the line at UFC 255 this week. Deiveson Figueiredo will defend his flyweight title against Alex Perez, and Valentina Shevchenko will defend her flyweight title against Jennifer Maia. We will see two potential challengers at women’s flyweight too with Katlyn Chookagian taking on Cynthia Calvillo in a battle of top contenders.
This week’s promotion will be held at UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The prelims for UFC 255 will kick off at 8 p.m. ET, and the main event is slated to start at 10 p.m. ET. All the action will be available exclusively through ESPN Plus.
UFC 255: Figueiredo vs. Perez Betting Odds
Deiveson Figueiredo -270
Alex Perez +230
Figueiredo is just the third person to hold the flyweight title since it was created on September 22, 2012. Demetrious Johnson held the belt for almost six years, and then Henry Cejudo carried the strap for 21 months before declaring his intention to retire following his win over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249.
That allowed Figueiredo to win the title against Joseph Benavidez back in July, and this will be his first title defense. Figueiredo is 19-1 with only three of his wins being decided by decision ahead of this fight. He lost to Jussier Formiga by decision last March, but he is 8-1 in his nine other UFC fights.
Alex Perez defeated Formiga by first-round TKO at UFC 250 in June, establishing himself as the top challenger. He is 24-5 in his career, and he has won 11 of his last 12 fights. The lone loss came at the hands of Benavidez. Perez has two Performance of the Night honors in his last two fights.
This is a good line, but there is some value in Figueiredo. He has looked more decisive in his wins, while half of Perez’s victories have come by decision.
Valentina Shevchenko -1700
Jennifer Maia +1000
You won’t find many UFC lines more lopsided than this one. Shevchenko is a massive favorite as the queen of the flyweight division. She is head and shoulders better than any other flyweight in the women’s division, and the only fighter that has defeated her in the last ten years has been Amanda Nunes.
Maia has lost to Liz Carmouche and Katlyn Chookagian in two of her last five fights. Her only impressive performance was her first-round submission of Joanne Calderwood in August, and it’s clear that she is outclassed here. It doesn’t make sense to bet Shevchenko by itself in this fight, but some parlays or props would be better options.
Cynthia Calvillo -256
Katlyn Chookagian +216
It’s possible that we see a lot of action on the underdog closer to this fight as Chookagian is ranked ahead of Calvillo in the UFC rankings. She has recent victories over Maia, Calderwood, and Antonina Shevchenko, but all of those came by decision.
Calvillo is more of an unknown. Her one loss came to Carla Esparza, but she has had issues making weight over her career. She may be worth a flyer in this situation though.
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