While much of the buzz in the UFC at the moment surrounds a potential bout between the 
new light heavyweight champion, Polish fighter Jan Blachowicz and the hugely talented middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at light-heavyweight, there is the small matter of another packed UFC event this coming weekend in Las Vegas with the flyweight stars very much the centre of attention at UFC 255.
Both the male and female world champions at flyweight will put their titles on the line. Deiverson Figueiredo will take on Alex Perez to defend his flyweight title, while the talented Valentina Shevchenko puts her women’s flyweight title on the line against the experienced Brazilian fighter Jennifer Maia.
If you would like to enjoy a bet on any of the MMA bouts outlined below and want to get involved in the action at UFC 255, then you will need to make sure that your betting provider offers an excellent range of bets on the event. If not, or you fancy a change of provider anyway, then the latest bet365 New Player Bonus is a great place to start. Not only do you get a great value starter bonus, but bet365 also offers a comprehensive pre-match and In Play betting service on many different sports, including MMA.
Bet365 Sport Open Account Offer
Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365.
Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.
If you are based in the United States, which is one of the hotbeds of support for the UFC, then no doubt you will be interested in this event too. If you live in a state that allows sports betting and want to sign up to enjoy a wager on the outcome of some of the bouts, then what are your options? Well in Pennsylvania, the latest BetRivers Promo Code can get you signed up with the BetRivers Sportsbetting and Casino site which is one of the most respected services in the state.
The company also runs a sports betting and casino gaming site in the Hoosier State of Indiana too, although here you can use a slightly different bonus, the BetRivers Affiliate Code “HOOSIERBONUS” when you sign up to receive a nice little added bonus as a new customer.
Finally, in other states where bet365 or BetRivers is not an option, you can use the latest DraftKings Online Sportsbook service as that also offers a very good deal for new customers and an extensive range of sports betting too.
Let’s now take a look ahead to the bouts lined up on the main card this week starting with the huge flyweight battle between the current champion Deiverson Figueiredo and the challenger, Alex Perez.
UFC 255 Main Card Bouts
Deiverson Figueiredo v Alex Perez – Flyweight
After his first title fight saw him miss the weight and then a clash of fights ended the catchweight contest early, Figueiredo bounced back in the rematch to beat Joseph Benavidez in the first round to claim the belt. He faces Alex Perez, who has earned a 6-1 record over the course of his UFC career so far with wins over Jordan Espinosa and Jussier Formiga over the course of the year. Figueiredo has looked imperious at times in some of his most recent wins, but Perez is a young, hungry and up and coming fighter who will give him a very different problem to solve. This could be close despite Figueiredo being the 1/3 favourite to win, and I think the champ will hold on to his belt but it may be decided by the scorecards. Tip – Figueiredo to win.
Valentina Shevchenko v Jennifer Maia – Women’s Flyweight
As a 9/1 underdog in this fight, the odds are against 32-year old Jennifer Maia in this fight against arguably the best pound-for-pound female UFC champion there is at present. Valentina Shevchenko, whose older sister fights on the undercard, has dominated this division since joining it and she is the massive 1/16 favourite to win the event. Maia’s submission win over Joanne Calderwood saw her leapfrog the former number 1 contender to earn this shot. Shevchenko is odds on tyo win her sixth bout in a row at the weekend and it is hard to bet against that. Tip – Shevchenko to win.
Mike Perry v Tim Means – Welterweight
Neither of these welterweight challengers are perhaps in the best form of their career, but both of them do not know how to become involved in a dull fight. As such, Perry v Means should be one of the contenders for fight of the night. Perry comes into the fight on the back of a win in June over Mickey Hall, while Means defeated Laureano Staropoli back in August to earn this chance. With a huge amount of talent in the welterweight division in particular in the UFC, a win here could put the winner back into the reckoning of the top 15 and give them a chance at a big name next year. The bookies have Perry as the 5/8 favourite, with Means a 13/10 chance and given that this is not likely to go to the cards, I’d back the harder hitting Perry to land the win here. Tip – Perry to win.
Katlyn Chookagian v Cynthia Calvillo – Women’s Flyweight
After losing to champion Shevchenko in February, Chookagian has suffered another loss to 
Jessica Andrade last time out and this therefore is a pivotal fight for her against the emerging Cynthia Calvillo. Calvillo has won her last four in the 125-pound category and many feel that she will emerge as a natural challenger for Shevchenko’s belt. However, Chookagian has been the barometer against which genuine contenders must prove themselves and this is a real step up in class for Calvillo but we do think she will land the victory here. Tip – Calvillo to win.
Mauricio Rua v Paul Craig – Light Heavyweight
Around 12 months ago, these two fighters battled it out to a draw in Rua’s native Brazil and they meet again this weekend to try and decide who is the better fighter. Rua has a 5-1-1 record in his last seven fights at light heavyweight and a win here could push him into the title picture. The same is true though for Scotland’s Paul Craig, who has won his last three and the submission specialist will be hoping he can get the job done this time around. This will be another close one but we back. The Scot to land the win here. Tip – Craig to win.
Other Bouts at UFC 255
Alongside the main card bouts listed above there are a further seven bouts scheduled to take place at UFC 255 across a number of different weight divisions featuring both male and female fighters. The other fights, all of which you can bet on at bet365 Sport, are outlined below.
- Brandon Moreno v Brandon Royval (Flyweight)
- Joaquin Buckley v Jordan Wright (Middleweight)
- Antonina Shevchenko v Ariane Lipski (Women’s Flyweight)
- Daniel Rodriguez v Nicolas Dalby (Welterweight)
- Alan Jouban v Jared Gooden (Welterweight)
- Kyle Daukaus v Dustin Stolzfus (Middleweight)
- Louis Cosce v Sasa Palatnikov (Welterweight)
The next opponent for the winner of the Figueiredo v Perez fight could well be decided by the winner of the Moreno v Royval fight and that looks like being the highlight of a quality undercard this weekend in Las Vegas.
*All odds shown were correct with bet365 Sport as of 8.20am on Thursday 19th November 2020.
