John McCarthy has shared his thoughts about the rematch between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo. The former UFC referee does not agree with Figueiredo receiving an automatic rematch after he did not have an impressive title run.
'Big' John discussed the match with Josh Thompson during an episode of Weighing In. He explained that 'Daico' defending the title for two fights, a victory over Alex Perez and a draw in his first fight with Moreno, did not warrant an automatic title rematch:
"If you're looking at Figueiredo, it wasn't like he was a champion for that long. His first fight was against Alex Perez, I believe, after winning the title. He gets a win there and then he gets a no contest with Brandon and then he loses to Brandon. It's like, 'Well you didn't have this great run.'"
Watch the full podcast with John McCarthy and Josh Thompson below:
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John McCarthy's criticisms come ahead of the rematch between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 270. 'The Assassin Baby' previously beat 'Daico' at UFC 263 to claim the belt.
The first fight between 'The Assassin Baby' and 'Daico' at UFC 256, the judges ruled it a majority draw, which prompted a rematch at UFC 263. In the rematch, the Tijauna native submitted 'Daico' via rear-naked choke in the third round.
John McCarthy's critique may be supported by Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo betting odds
According to Oddsshark.com, Brandon Moreno is currently the -170 favorite to beat Deiveson Figueiredo in their rematch. 'Deus da Guerra', on the other hand, comes in at a plus +140 underdog.
Many fans are taking into account that the Tijuana native controlled most of the fight during the two matches between the pair. On top of that, Figueiredo has never beaten Moreno while the 28-year-old submitted the Brazilian in their second match.
Brandon Moreno has won five of his last seven fights with the other two decisions being draws. Meanwhile, 'Daico' was on a five-fight win streak before losing his title to 'The Assassin Baby' at UFC 263.
John McCarthy's scathing critique of 'Deus da Guerra' getting an automatic rematch is based off of the two fighters' history. In light of these betting odds, the fans also agree that Brandon Moreno outclassed Deiveson Figueiredo.