5 best finishes from the stars of UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

This weekend sees the UFC head to Iowa for the first time since 2000. The Fight Night event that is set for the Midwest state should be a lot of fun.

UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo features a number of ranked stars, but also some of the most ruthless finishers on the roster.

Whether they can produce more highlight reel fare this weekend, only time will tell. Based on what they've done before, though, don't bet against it.

Here are the five best finishes from the stars of UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo.

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#5. Jeremy Stephens vs. Josh Emmett - UFC on Fox 28

The return of longtime veteran Jeremy Stephens is one of the more intriguing things about this weekend's show, as 'Lil Heathen' is seemingly way past his prime.

However, when he was at his best, Stephens was responsible for some truly brutal finishes, including an uppercut knockout of Rafael dos Anjos in his UFC debut.

It's his last win in the octagon, though, over fellow heavy hitter Josh Emmett in 2018, that really stands out for its sheer violence.

The fight, which headlined one of the last few UFC events to air on Fox, saw Stephens drop Emmett in the second round with a counter left hook to the jaw.

The shot itself wouldn't have been enough to finish Emmett, who was more stunned rather than out cold. However, the ferocity that 'Lil Heathen' showed in his follow-up assault was more than enough.

He landed a number of sickening elbows to the head of the future title challenger, not only finishing him, but leaving him with multiple facial fractures that resulted in him being out for over a year.

The finish remains one of the most scary in UFC history, and the fact that Stephens was capable of such things shows why he's been brought back.

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#4. Bo Nickal vs. Val Woodburn - UFC 290

One of the most highly touted prospects in UFC history thanks to his amazing wrestling credentials, Bo Nickal is set to co-headline this weekend's event against Reinier de Ridder.

When he faced last-minute replacement Val Woodburn in 2023, Nickal was amongst the heaviest betting favorites in MMA history. It didn't take him long to show exactly why that was.

Less than a minute into the bout, Nickal stunned Woodburn with a right hand, and rather than look for a takedown, he opened up.

A wild flurry followed, ending with Nickal dropping his opponent with a left and following with a diving right hand, finishing him off in just 38 seconds.

While it's unlikely that Nickal will get such a fast finish against de Ridder this weekend, this knockout did show that he's got more than just a stellar wrestling game in his arsenal.

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#3. Montel Jackson vs. Da'Mon Blackshear - UFC on ESPN 59

Montel Jackson, who faces Daniel Marcos on this weekend's main card, has the nickname 'Quik'. It's safe to say that the No. 15-ranked bantamweight in the UFC earned that moniker in his last fight.

Faced with the very dangerous Da'Mon Blackshear - a dark horse in the division in his own right - Jackson knew that he couldn't waste any time.

After all, 'Da Monster' had a reputation as a stellar grappler, and he'd even submitted an opponent with the rare twister a year prior.

When Blackshear stepped forward to attack, then, Jackson quickly countered. He threw a lightning-quick one-two that 'Da Monster' never saw coming, and when it landed, it sent him flying.

Had referee Mike Beltran been quicker, Jackson could well have broken the record for the fastest knockout in bantamweight history at 17 seconds. As it was, 'Quik' had to add a couple of extra shots, ending the fight at 18 seconds instead.

Still, this finish was both rapid and ridiculous, and if Jackson can produce something similar this weekend, he'll steal the show.

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#2. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Benavidez - UFC Fight Night 172

While he's now plying his trade at 135 pounds - and will hope to climb into title contention with a win in this weekend's headliner - Deiveson Figueiredo is arguably the most destructive flyweight in MMA history.

During his time at 125 pounds, 'Deus da Guerra' scored seven finishes, including two impressive ones over the ultra-tough Joseph Benavidez in a pair of title bouts.

While there was controversy around the first bout, though, which saw an accidental clash of heads, Benavidez could not complain about the second.

In that fight, Figueiredo absolutely destroyed him in under a round, marking him out as the most lethal flyweight on the planet at that time.

Looking practically a weight class bigger, 'Deus da Guerra' dropped Benavidez three times in the round before strangling him unconscious late on.

The fight remains one of the most one-sided title bouts in UFC history, and is a scary reminder of what Figueiredo at his best is capable of.

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#1. Cory Sandhagen vs. Frankie Edgar - UFC Fight Night 184

One of the most well-rounded finishers in the UFC's bantamweight division, Cory Sandhagen has a number of flashy finishes under his belt.

In fact, it'd be easy to name his 2020 wheel kick knockout of Marlon Moraes as the best one he's produced.

However, 'The Sandman' somehow managed to top that finish less than a year later when he squared off with future Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar in a highly anticipated clash.

While 'The Answer' was past his best at that point, he was still expected to test Sandhagen with his rugged nature and powerful wrestling skills.

That wasn't the case at all, though. After evading Edgar's forward movement in the fight's opening seconds, 'The Sandman' uncorked an incredible flying knee to the head as the former lightweight champ leaned forward.

Edgar fell to the ground, completely separated from his consciousness, and Sandhagen did not even need to follow up. The whole fight lasted just 28 seconds.

Whether 'The Sandman' can finish Deiveson Figueiredo in similar fashion this weekend is another thing entirely, of course, but this knockout suggests that fans should not blink during the fight.