UFC 256 Betting Odds, Predictions & Markets

December 12 is a tasty day for sports fans. The Manchester derby, Anthony Joshua v Kubrat Pulev and a late-night UFC card to get stuck into.

UFC 256 is taking place at the Apex, with Dana White and co ending the year strongly with yet another fairly stacked event.

Saying that, we don't want to jinx things, as this card has been cursed so far. Originally penciled in for Kamaru Usman v Gilbert Burns, the Welterweight champion pulled out due to injuries. Women's superstar Amanda Nunes was rumoured to overtake the main event, before an injury to the Brazilian scuppered such plans.

It wasn't third times a charm either, with Petr Yan v Aljamain Sterling then expected to take place instead of being a co-main, but the former cannot travel due to visa issues.

Instead, Flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo will defend his belt against the upcoming Brandon Moreno. Not PPV worthy on its own though, the bout before will help the matter. Tony Ferguson is making a highly-anticipated return to the Octagon, in a feisty match-up against Charles Oliveira.

We've looked into the outright UFC 256 odds for the two fights.

There is every chance that the Flyweights have a new champion to reign terror over the division in the shape of Deiveson Figueiredo.

The Brazilian has rose to stardom this calendar year, beating the legendary Joseph Benavidez back-to-back, before breezing past the highly regarded prospect in Alex Perez, in one round. Should Figueiredo taste success over Moreno in December, not many will argue against his case in being the UFC Fighter of the Year.

On the back of such credentials, 'Daico' has been given a short outright price for the bout, with odds of just 3/10. He has recently showcased his all-round ability as a mixed martial artist, flourishing both on the feet and the ground. His combination of allusive boxing but also power, has made him a force to be reckoned with when standing, as we saw against Benavidez.

Their rematch back in July was somewhat disturbing to watch - he simply destroyed the American. The Brazilian is not afraid to come forward, but the jiu-jitsu black belt is equally as dangerous on the floor.

Figueiredo's last two victories have come via submission - after wearing his opponents down, he is so effective in being the dominator on top, before slipping into a move for the finish. It was quick flash thinking which saw him scupper in the guillotine in against Alex Perez, and it showed why none of Diaco's opponents will be looking to go to the mat. Given his range of skillset, his tag as the big favourite won't come as a surprise.

Moreno, who has recently called the upcoming bout the 'opportunity of his life', will perhaps be relatively unknown with most readers. The 26-year-old has won 4 and drawn once in his last five, and he certainly is a lively fighter. Nicknamed 'The Assassin Baby', he likes to stand and throw in the pocket, thriving in the fiery exchanges. He doesn't pack the most power, but he's a durable figure.

More than capable on the floor too, he's a very bright prospect in the organisation. Is he ready for Figueiredo though? The bookmakers don't fancy his chances too much, given his outright price of 12/5.

Has anybody got the two pointing Spidermen meme to hand? Because that would be fitting when comparing these two fighters. Expect fireworks to fly in the co-main, as El Cucuy is back, but he faces a very tough ask in Charles Oliveira.

The former's winning streak came to a crashing end against Justin Gaethje back in May, and he sustained some brutal punishment in the process. Originally scheduled in to face Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ferguson was no doubt putting all his training preparation focus into his takedown defence and rolling on the floor, to then be thrown into the ring against one of the hardest hitters in the division. Gaethje's calculated boxing ability got the better of the then interim-champion, connecting and causing damage in nearly every exchange.

One talking point coming into this bout is how will Ferguson respond - the last time he came off a loss was back in 2012, not to mention that there is likely to be repercussions from such a beating, even for the Boogeyman. The fighter will no doubt carry his same persona and attitude coming into the fight though, a do or die figure that fans just cannot get enough of. He meets a man carrying all the momentum though, as Oliveira is on a seven fight win streak.

All seven of these victories have come via stoppages, five of which from chokes. Like Ferguson, the Brazilian is a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and is so dangerous in the transitions on the floor. This is what makes this match-up so intriguing - two men, arguably just as good on the mat, facing off inside the cage. In terms of stand-up too, they share a similar long but slim build, and enjoy advancing forward to engage.

Neither are recognised for their 'power' punches, but more volume of output. They both like applying pressure with that lead front kick, before coming inside and pouring on with the strikes. A very tough one to call on paper, as the bookmakers have recognised. Ferguson is the slight favourite at 8/13, but Oliveira isn't too far behind with odds of 5/4.