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The UFC visits the state of Iowa next weekend for the first time since 2000. Des Moines will play host to what looks like a pretty strong Fight Night.
UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo features a high-level bantamweight headliner, as well as some other intriguing fights.
Overall, then, this is better than the usual Las Vegas fare, making it a show worth watching. Here are the predicted outcomes for UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo.
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#1. UFC bantamweight bout: Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
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The UFC's bantamweight division is one of the promotion's most loaded right now, and that means that the matchmakers can throw together almost any combination of top 135-pounders to make a great bout.
Case in point, this clash between the No.4-ranked Cory Sandhagen and the No.5-ranked Deiveson Figueiredo.
A win isn't likely to propel either man directly into a title bout, but equally, neither has fought current champ Merab Dvalishvili yet. Therefore, even though they're both coming off a loss, a victory would be huge regardless of the winner.
Interestingly, the way that the two lost their last bouts couldn't have been much different.
Sandhagen found himself outdueled by Umar Nurmagomedov, who was able to largely shut his dynamic striking down and bully him on the ground for five straight rounds.
Meanwhile, Figueiredo, was beaten by Petr Yan on the feet, although the bout was probably not as one-sided as Sandhagen's loss. 'Deus da Guerra' simply couldn't land combinations at the same volume as Yan, even if he wasn't outclassed.
Can we take much from those fights into what might happen here? It's arguable that Figueiredo's loss is probably more telling than Sandhagen's, purely because the Brazilian doesn't possess the grappling that gave 'The Sandman' such issues.
Sandhagen, though, does possess a similar style to Yan. 'No Mercy' probably hits a little harder, explaining his own win over 'The Sandman' back in 2021, but Sandhagen loves to chain quick combinations together, rarely giving his opponent room to breathe.
So is Figueiredo likely out of luck? Well, the one thing the former flyweight kingpin has in spades is brutal power. It's almost the ultimate equalizer. While it didn't take him past Yan, it has worked before.
Figueiredo became the first man to ever drop the iron-chinned Marlon Vera, for instance, and he flatlined the equally tough Joseph Benavidez in 2020, as well.
Sandhagen has never been knocked out, though, surviving some horrendous shots from Yan in particular.
To add to this, if these two go into a striking exchange, 'The Sandman' will also enjoy a sizeable height and reach advantage, too.
Overall, then, Figueiredo is definitely tough enough to last the distance here in what should be a clear-cut frontrunner for the 'Fight of the Night' award. However, it's likely that we'll get a repeat of the Yan fight here, with Sandhagen slightly outclassing him throughout.
The Pick: Sandhagen via decision
#2. UFC middleweight bout: Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal
This event's co-headliner looks like a pretty fascinating one, as a blue chip prospect Bo Nickal returns to action for his fifth bout in the octagon.
Whether he's making a step up in competition here, though, is a bit debatable. Last time the NCAA Division I national champion wrestler fought, he stuttered past tough veteran Paul Craig, garnering some boos in the process.
Craig may have been a step too far for Nickal, though. His foe this time around, Reinier de Ridder, is dangerous, but is perhaps less proven than 'Bearjew'.
'The Dutch Knight' is 2-0 in the octagon, of course. While his first win - over Gerald Meerschaert - was derided as sloppy, he looked excellent in a slick submission of Kevin Holland in January.
The issue for de Ridder in this fight, of course, comes down to the fact that Nickal is one of the best wrestlers in UFC history in terms of credentials.
Given de Ridder is not exactly a great striker and largely relies on his strong submission game, he could be in serious trouble if he can't get Nickal to the ground. And realistically, he's unlikely to land any takedowns.
Will Nickal be able to keep this fight vertical and beat his foe up, then? That's where it's debatable.
Nickal has shown knockout power before, as he dispatched Val Woodburn via first round KO in 2023. However, Woodburn was a late-notice foe, and outside of that, Nickal's striking hasn't looked too good.
In particular, he struggled on the feet with Paul Craig, largely due to the long reach of the Scotsman. Given de Ridder will also enjoy a height and reach advantage, that might prove to be an issue.
However, Nickal is a far better athlete than de Ridder, and that might prove to be the difference. If he can take 'The Dutch Knight' down and basically hold him there, there's a chance he could grind out a win without really doing too much damage.
Given de Ridder largely does his best work from dominant positions on the ground, if Nickal can avoid that, then this should be a fight he can win based on his athleticism. He may well prove to be massively improved and score a knockout, in fact.
Either way, the pick here is Nickal, but it wouldn't be a surprise if it's an unconvincing showing.
The Pick: Nickal via decision
#3. UFC Fight Night: The Main Card
In a welterweight bout, Santiago Ponzinibbio faces Daniel Rodriguez. Both of these men are coming off wins, but they're also both arguably past their best at this point.
Were they in their primes, this would probably be an easy pick for Ponzinibbio. 'Gente Boa' has excellent boxing, fast hands, a lot of power and did have a pretty strong chin, too. He's slower than he once was now, and his chin is compromised, but as his KO of Carlston Harris showed, he can still crack.
Rodriguez is less of an athlete, and while he's proven that he can grind wins out, it's probably fair to argue that he's never beaten anyone on this level, aside from Li Jingliang on late notice. The pick, then, is Ponzinibbio via second round KO.
At light-heavyweight, Junior Tafa faces George Tokkos. This is probably the last chance saloon for Tokkos, as he's lost his last two visits to the octagon. Tafa also needs a win, as this will be his first outing at 205 pounds after fighting for a few years as a heavyweight.
Fans should not expect a technical classic here, but it feels likely that Tafa will find a way to win. He hits hard if nothing else, and Tokkos has not shown a lot to suggest he's a UFC-level fighter at this point. Therefore, the pick is Tafa via first round KO.
In a bantamweight clash, Montel Jackson takes on Daniel Marcos. This is a potentially good fight, as Jackson is ranked No.15 in the division, although he hasn't fought since last summer.
As you'd expect with a nickname like 'Quik', Jackson's best attribute is his speed, and he has very fast hands, as he showed in his impressive knockouts of Da'Mon Blackshear and Rani Yahya.
Marcos, though, also looks like a dangerous prospect. He's 4-0 in the octagon with one No Contest, and showed his toughness in a strong win over Adrian Yanez last year.
However, Yanez notably landed a number of blows on him, and his more plodding style might land him in trouble with a rapid fighter like Jackson. This one should be fun to watch and close to call, but the pick is Jackson via second-round KO.
Finally, two returning fighters face off at lightweight, as Jeremy Stephens takes on Mason Jones.
Stephens is obviously the more proven fighter here, but whether 'Lil Heathen' should still be competing at the age of 38 is debatable. He hardly set the world alight in his brief PFL run, after all, and has one win in his last nine bouts dating back to 2018.
Jones is unheralded, of course, and will be up against a fighter competing in his hometown. However, 'The Dragon' can also crack, and he's at least riding a four-fight win streak. The pick, then, is Jones via first-round TKO.
#4. UFC Fight Night: The Prelims
Picks in bold
UFC bantamweight bout: Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate
UFC bantamweight bout: Cameron Smotherman vs. Serhiy Sidey
UFC heavyweight bout: Thomas Petersen vs. Don'Tale Mayes
UFC strawweight bout: Marina Rodriguez vs. Gillian Robertson
UFC middleweight bout: Ryan Loder vs. Azamat Bekoev
UFC flyweight bout: Juliana Miller vs. Ivana Petrovic
UFC bantamweight bout: Gaston Bolanos vs. Quang Le
