The MMA Daily

We have a showdown in the Flyweight division, as Amir Albazi takes on Francisco Figueiredo. Returning to the octagon after an eighteen month layoff, Albazi will look to build off a three-fight win streak. Still ranked eleventh, with a victory, Albazi could very well find himself inside the top ten. Meanwhile, Figueiredo comes into this fight off an impressive kneebar submission over Daniel da Silva. The victory was his second inside the octagon, and first via stoppage. With an opportunity against a ranked opponent, Figueiredo would join his brother among the top fifteen in the division.

As impressive as Figueiredo was in his recent fight, I’m not yet on board with the Brazilian. While his grappling and submission abilities are excellent, his striking and cardio are less to be desired. Against a well rounded fighter, who is solid on the mat too, I don’t believe Figueiredo can strike lightning in this match-up. Instead, I expect Albazi to thwart off Figueiredo’s would-be attempts to get this fight to the ground. In doing such, a tired Figueiredo will be more susceptible to getting tagged and eventually finished. With that said, I predict Albazi to make a triumphant return to the octagon, winning via TKO.