UFC Des Moines looms. This Saturday, Dana White’s promotion touches down in Iowa for the primary present within the state since June 9, 2000. White had but to hitch the corporate on the time of the preliminary journey to Iowa and wouldn’t accomplish that till 2001.
Wells Fargo Heart, the house venue of the Iowa Barnstormers within the IFL, will likely be taking part in host to an occasion almost 25 years within the making over the weekend. Whereas the Barnstormers are away in Jacksonville on Saturday night, aggressive violence takes center-stage within the Barnstormers’ home for UFC Des Moines.
Dwell protection of Saturday’s present kicks off with the prelims at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT on ESPN+ inside the US. Essential card motion caps the night at 10 pm ET/ 7 pm PT. The UFC Des Moines most important card will likely be simulcast over ESPN2 on linear tv.
All informed, if there aren’t any cancellations or postponements to the bout order on Saturday night time, the ultimate model of the present encompasses a full schedule of 12 MMA fights.
UFC Des Moines Essential Occasion: No. 4 Contender Deiveson Figuereido vs. No. 5 Contender Cory Sandhagen
On the high of the invoice is a top-5 showdown at 135 lbs matching No. 4 contender Deiveson Figueiredo (24-4-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) and No. 5 contender and former UFC Flyweight Champion Cory Sandhagen (17-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC). This most important attraction is a five-round combat at 5 minutes per spherical to shut out the present.
Sandhagen enters the primary occasion of the night having gone 3-2 in his final 5 fights relationship again to October of 2021. Final day trip, he noticed his three-fight profitable streak snapped by the hands of Umar Nurmagomedov (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) by the use of unanimous choice in Abu Dhabi after 5 rounds on ABC.
That is considerably of a “dwelling sport” for Cory Sandhagen within the UFC Des Moines most important occasion this weekend. Sandhagen’s father was raised in Manchester, IA, roughly two and a half hours away from Des Moines. Will he take that subsequent step towards a bid on the UFC Bantamweight Championship with a win?
In the meantime, Deiveson Figuereido comes into the weekend sporting a 3-2 document of his personal. Again in November of final 12 months, he sustained a unanimous choice defeat to Petr Yan (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in Macau.
The stakes are excessive for each males on this most important attraction, however even moreso for the latter forward of UFC Des Moines provided that he’s already received a belt at 125 lbs previously. Who will emerge because the victor over the weekend?
UFC Des Moines Co-Essential Occasion: No. 13 Contender Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal
Proper earlier than the primary occasion of the night, the co-headliner sees motion occurring within the middleweight division. No. 13 contender Reinier de Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), an alumnus of ONE Championship, squares off in opposition to undefeated Bo Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC). It is a three-round bout at 5 minutes a chunk.
de Ridder will likely be making his third stroll to the well-known Octagon on the power of a 3-2 document in his final 5 fights. In the intervening time, he’s received three in a row relationship again to his one and solely combat in UAE Warriors in July of final 12 months.
Most just lately, he completed Kevin Holland (27-13, 1 NC MMA, 14-10, 1 NC UFC) with a first-round submission through rear-naked choke again in January throughout UFC 311 from Intuit Dome from Inglewood, CA.
It is a seasoned veteran of the game in motion on Saturday night time. Reinier de Ridder has seen the best of the highs throughout his time in ONE Championship, profitable that promotion’s titles at middleweight (205 lbs) and lightweight heavyweight (225 lbs.) His opponent within the UFC Des Moines co-main occasion has confirmed to be a troublesome buyer on the store.
Throughout the best way, Bo Nickal has but to lose so far as an expert in MMA. Courting again to his beginner profession, he’s received 9 fights in succession.
Final fall inside Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis, he bested Paul Craig (17-9-1 MMA, 9-9-1 UFC) through unanimous choice following three rounds of motion. Reinier de Ridder is an excellent check for Bo Nickal given his championship pedigree previously.
How will Nickal deal with the stress of the best profile combat to-date in his UFC profession?
UFC Des Moines: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Additionally on the UFC Des Moines most important card, you’ll be seeing a welterweight contest between Santiago Ponzinibbio (30-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC) in his thirty ninth profession combat and twentieth UFC bout, and Daniel Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC). This pairing was speculated to have occurred already.
In September of 2023, these two fighters have been booked to combat each other throughout Noche UFC, however the pairing was scrubbed after the latter returned a constructive drug check. Ponzinibbio will likely be getting into the cage with a document of 2-3 over the course of his final 5 fights.
Again on Jan. 11, he scored a third-round standing TKO by the use of punches over Carlston Harris (19-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC) from the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, NV. The victory introduced an finish to a two-fight shedding streak for Ponzinibbio.
It is a milestone combat in his UFC tenure. Will look quantity 20 lead to a fortunate thirteenth win?
Within the different nook, Daniel Rodriguez comes into this weekend’s occasion having gone 2-3 in his personal proper over his 5 most up-to-date fights. He returned to the win column in his Oct. 12 contest by cut up choice in opposition to Alex Morono on the UFC Apex.
His final sustained profitable streak within the promotion was a four-fight stretch between April of 2021 and September of 2022. Is Saturday’s contest the beginning of one other such streak?
Remaining Ideas
Which most important card fights are you trying ahead to on UFC Des Moines? Tell us within the feedback.
