UFC fight tonight: Figueiredo vs Moreno match preview, fight card, and UFC 256 start time

There is a lot to look forward to as we are just a few hours away from the final UFC pay-per-view of 2020.

Reigning flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo will be looking to create history by becoming the first man to have two successful title defenses in the span of just one month as he takes on top-contender Brandon Moreno in the main event of UFC 256.

The event takes place at the promotion's APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 12, 2020, without any fans in attendance due to the state's COVID-19 related protocols.

The co-main event of the night features a crucial and potentially epic lightweight encounter between Tony Ferguson and Charles Oliveira. Ferguson recently saw his incredible 12-fight unbeaten streak come to an end against Justin Gaethje at UFC 249. He will now be looking to end 'Do Bronx's' seven-fight win streak inside the Octagon. The winner of this fight could potentially go on to fight for the UFC lightweight title.

Other fights on the UFC 256 main card include a women's strawweight bout between Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba; a middleweight bout between Brazilian fight game veteran Jacare Souza and surging middleweight contender Kevin Holland, and a heavyweight main card opener between Junior dos Santos and Ciryl Gane.

Deiveson Figueireo vs Brandon Moreno match preview

Deiveson Figueiredo's 21-day turnaround between two title defenses has been a hotly debated topic recently. The flyweight champ fought Alex Perez on November 21 at UFC 255 and won via submission in the first round. 21 days later, at UFC 256, he will take on #1 contender Brandon Moreno in his second title defense.

Both Figueiredo and Moreno have been hugely successful in 2020 and will be looking to end the year with a bang as they go head to head in a few hours' time. Moreno is undefeated in his last five fights, having beaten the likes of Kai Kara France, Jussier Formiga and Brandon Royval on his way to earning a title shot.

The overwhelming underdog will leave it all inside the Octagon to try and cause a big upset by cutting Figueiredo's title reign short.

Figueiredo is being hailed as the 'saviour' of the flyweight division by many and his entertaining persona coupled with his prolific skills inside the octagon do make a good case for him. He suffered just one loss in his 20-1 career and is currently on a hot five-fight win streak, out of which four wins came via stoppage.

Speaking about the fight, it will mostly be a striker vs grappler story as Figueiredo will be looking to stay on his feet and use his lethal punches to try and finish the 27-year-old while Moreno will try and take the fight to the ground.

Figueiredo's takedown defense is pretty solid and he is also very adept on the ground but he has to be wary of the fact that he's going up against a submission specialist. Moreno also has a deceptive striking game and can cause his opponent some trouble with his overhand. All in all, this one promises to be an intriguing encounter. Expect some fireworks in the main event, folks!

UFC 256 Fight Card

Main card

Deiveson Figueiredo (c) vs. Brandon Moreno (Flyweight title bout)

Tony Ferguson vs. Charles Oliveira (Lightweight)

Mackenzie Dern vs. Virna Jandiroba (Women's Strawweight)

Kevin Holland vs. Ronaldo Souza (Middleweight)

Junior dos Santos vs. Ciryl Gane (Heavyweight)

Prelims

Cub Swanson vs. Daniel Pineda (Featherweight)

Renato Moicano vs. Rafael Fiziev (Lightweight)

Gavin Tucker vs. Billy Quarantillo (Featherweight)

Sergey Spivak vs. Jared Vanderaa (Heavyweight)

Early Prelims

Chase Hooper vs. Peter Barrett (Featherweight)

UFC 256 Start Time

The early prelims for UFC 256 start from 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ the prelims begin at 8 p.m on ESPN+ and ESPN2 while the main card commences from 10 p.m. on ESPN+. The prelims can also be viewed live on ESPN2 and the WatchESPN app while the early prelims can be viewed on UFC Fight Pass.

The PPV price for UFC 256 is $64.99 for current subscribers while new subscribers will have to pay $84.98.