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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Des Moines
Laying Out The Lineup For The UFC’s Debut In Des Moines, Iowa, This Weekend For UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo
By E. Spencer Kyte
The fact that this weekend marks just the third time the UFC has brought an event to Iowa and the first visit in 25 years feels crazy given the massive impact the state had on the promotion at the tail end of the SEG era and first several years under Zuffa.
Based out of Bettendorf, Miletich Fighting Systems was the first super-camp in the UFC, with five members of the long-defunct team holding championship gold at one point. The team’s namesake and leader, Pat Miletich, was the inaugural welterweight titleholder, 2023 Hall of Fame inductee Jens Pulver was in the first lightweight champion, and Matt Hughes and Tim Sylvia were both two-time champions in their respective divisions.
While Robbie Lawler won the welterweight title many years after his time as a member of the MFS crew, the Iowa outfit was where he got his start, and he’ll become the fourth member of the team inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame when he joins Miletich, Hughes, and Pulver later this year.
Given the deep combat sports history in the state, how long Iowans have been waiting for the UFC to come to town, and the tremendous collection of matchups set to take place at Wells Fargo Arena this weekend, don’t be surprised if Saturday turns out to be a raucous affair and the promotion to make far more frequent visits to “The Hawkeye State.”
Let’s dive into what’s on tap this weekend.
Main Event: Cory Sandhagen vs Deiveson Figueiredo
Bantamweights headline this weekend’s return to Iowa, with Cory Sandhagen and DeivesonFigueiredo squaring off in an important main event pairing.
A fixture in the title picture for the last several years, Sandhagen returns for the first time since landing on the wrong side of things in a title eliminator against Umar Nurmagomedov last summer in Abu Dhabi. The 33-year-old won three straight prior to that, and is 10-4 overall inside the Octagon, including wins over Frankie Edgar, Song Yadong, ad Marlon “Chito” Vera.
Two-time flyweight champ Figueiredo moved up in weight towards the end of 2023, debuting with a decision win over Rob Font before adding victories over Cody Garbrandt and Vera to his resume to set up a showdown with Petr Yan last year in Macau. He was defeated by the former champion over five rounds, and now looks to steady himself in the divisional standings by taking out Sandhagen.
Business is set to pick up in the bantamweight ranks over the next couple of months, with this bout serving as the first of several critical matchups on tap as we head into the summer. These two currently sit at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, in the rankings, and are looking to cement their positions in the pecking order, while also aiming to set themselves up for another key assignment later in the year.
Additional Main Card Matchups
Reinier de Ridder vs Bo Nickal
Saturday’s penultimate pairing comes in the middleweight division, as Reinier de Ridder faces off with Bo Nickal.
The Dutch veteran arrived in the UFC towards the end of last year, battling with Gerald Meerschaert before finally submitting the veteran in the third round to secure a win in his debut. He stormed through Kevin Holland at UFC 311 in January to collect a second UFC win (and third straight victory overall), looking much more like the dominant grappler and potential divisional threat most envisioned when he signed with the promotion.
Nickal has taken the slow and steady approach to his UFC tenure thus far, registering a pair of wins in each of his freshman and sophomore seasons, most recently sweeping the scorecards in a much-discussed bout with Paul Craig at UFC 309 last year in New York. The former Hodge Trophy winner and Big 10 Athlete of the Year is 7-0 overall and could take a considerable step forward in the division by posting a win over the experienced and dangerous de Ridder this weekend.
This is one of those contests where you could tell me either man wins in any number of fashions and all of them would sound reasonable to me, as their approaches have some obvious overlap and neither stands as a clear-cut favorite. De Ridder has a considerable edge in experience, but Nickal is one of the top prospects in the sport, and is at the stage where exponential growth between appearances is not out of the question.
However this one plays out, it should be fascinating, and informative, too.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Daniel Rodriguez
Veteran welterweights Santiago Ponzinibbio and Daniel Rodriguez meet in a clash of divisional stalwarts looking to build off wins in their most recent appearances.
Ponzinibbio snapped a two-fight skid and picked up just his third win in the last four years with a third-round stoppage win over Carlston Harris in January. The Argentine remains a durable and dangerous presence in the “Second 15” of the welterweight ranks, and is looking to earn consecutive victories for the first time since winning seven straight prior to his two-year absence between 2019 and 2021.
Rodriguez got things moving in the right direction again in mid-October, edging out Alex Morono on the scorecards to halt a three-fight losing streak. He’s faced a steady diet of tough assignments over the last several years, including Neil Magny, Ian Machado Garry, and Kelvin Gastelum, going 8-4 through his first dozen trips into the Octagon.
Montel Jackson vs Daniel Marcos
Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) graduates Montel Jackson and Daniel Marcos share the Octagon in a pivotal matchup of emerging bantamweights on Saturday night.
Jackson enters Saturday’s contest having earned back-to-back first-round knockout wins and five straight victories overall. The Milwaukee native needed just 18 seconds to dispatch Da’Mon Blackshear last July in Denver, and continues to look more and more like a contender in the talent-rich division with each subsequent appearance.
A member of the DWCS Class of ’22, Marcos has gone 4-0 with one no contest through his first five UFC appearances, most recently landing on the happy side of a split decision verdict in a bout with Adrian Yanez on last year’s final fight card. The ascending Peruvian is unbeaten in 18 fights overall and looks to take another solid step forward in the ultra-competitive 135-pound ranks with a win this weekend in Iowa.
If they were competing in another weight class, each of these men would likely be knocking on the door of facing someone with a single number next to their names, if not in the thick of the title chase. But because the bantamweight division is so flush with talent, they’re still working towards the Top 10, and looking to further their individual cases for another step up in competition by adding to their winning streaks here.
Yana Santos vs Miesha Tate
Bantamweight mainstays Yana Santos and Miesha Tate share the Octagon in one of three women’s bouts on Saturday’s fight card.
Santos returns to action for the first time since August, when she dominated her bout with Chelsea Chandler and halted a three-fight slide. The 35-year-old veteran has faced a host of contenders and has been a staple in the Top 15 throughout her UFC tenure, and has historically earned victories in pairs; a trend she will look to continue this weekend.
Tate competes for the first time since earning a third-round submission win over Julia Avila in early December 2023 in Austin, Texas, a victory that ended a two-fight skid. The former bantamweight titleholder is 2-2 since returning to active competition, and can elevate herself back into the Top 10 in the division she once ruled with a victory over Santos.
It’s been a bit of a quiet year in the women’s bantamweight ranks to this point, but things are set to heat up in the next few weeks, and it will be interesting to see how everything lines up once the dust settles. Each of these women has the credentials to make a push for a bigger opportunity next time out or could serve as tremendous “measuring stick” opponents for any of the ascending names in the division looking to take another step forward in the second half of the year.
Preliminary Card Pairings
Cameron Smotherman vs Serhiy Sidey
Dana White’s Contender Series alums Cameron Smotherman and Serhiy Sidey face off in this bantamweight meeting of prospects looking to build upon their first UFC victories.
Smotherman turned a short-notice opportunity into a victory last fall as “The Baby-Faced Killer” out-hustled Jake Hadley to earn his fourth straight victory. After landing on the wrong side of a split decision verdict in his debut at UFC 297, Sidey ventured to Edmonton in November and posted his first UFC win, edging out Garrett Armfield on the scorecards.
Jeremy Stephens vs Mason Jones
It’s a clash of returning competitors as Iowa native Jeremy Stephens and Wales’ Mason Jones lock horns in what should be an absolute firefight this weekend in Des Moines.
Competing in MMA for the first time in more than two years and fighting in the UFC for the first time in almost four years, Stephens looks to collect his first victory inside the Octagon since knocking out Josh Emmett as he fights in front of a partisan crowd this weekend. Jones went 1-2 with a no contest in his first four UFC appearances before returning to Cage Warriors, working on some things, and posting four wins in as many starts to earn a call back to the big show.
Thomas Petersen vs Don’Tale Mayes
Heavyweights looking to stem the tide share the Octagon here, as Thomas Petersen takes on Don’Tale Mayes in this preliminary card fixture.
Peterson scored an impressive submission win on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn his place on the roster, but has gone 1-2 over his first three UFC starts, most recently getting stopped in the first round by Shamil Gaziev. Mayes has made 11 appearances since earning his place on the UFC roster, posting a 4-6 mark with one no contest, and enters Saturday’s bout having dropped two straight and three of his last four.
Gaston Bolaños vs Quang Le
The first of the night’s five bantamweight contests pits Gaston Bolanos against Quang Le.
Bolanos has alternated results through his first three appearances inside the Octagon, having earned decision wins over Aaron Phillips and Cortavious Romious on either side of a loss to Marcus McGhee. Le impressed in a short-notice loss to Chris Gutierrez in his debut, but faltered in his sophomore appearance as well, leaving him eager to halt his two-fight slide here.
Marina Rodriguez vs Gillian Robertson
It’s a clash of ranked strawweights on Saturday’s prelims as Marina Rodriguez takes on the streaking Gillian Robertson.
A top contender for a number of years, Rodriguez, who turns 38 on April 29, enters having dropped each of her last two outings by split decision, and having just one win in her last five fights. Conversely, Robertson arrives in Iowa on the best run of her UFC career, having earned three straight wins and victories in four of five since returning to the 115-pound weight class at the start of 2023.
Ryan Loder vs Azamat Bekoev
TUF 32 middleweight winner Ryan Loder and former LFA champ Azamat Bekoev clash in this meeting of 185-pound talents looking to start making a move up the divisional ladder in 2025.
Loder dominated his bout with Robert Valentin in August to win the middleweight tournament and advance his record to 8-1 overall. Bekoev pushed his winning streak to seven with a first-round stoppage win over Zach Reese in his promotional debut at UFC 311 in January.
Juliana Miller vs Ivana Petrovic
TUF 30 winner Juliana Miller returns to action for the first time in 21 months, facing off with Ivana Petrovic in Saturday’s opener.
The 28-year-old Miller hasn’t fought since August 2023 after having major arm surgery following her first-round stoppage loss to Luana Santos. Petrovic earned her first UFC win last April, but landed on the wrong side of a split decision verdict against Jamey-Lyn Horth in November to fall to 7-2 overall.
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