For the first time since 2000, the UFC makes its way back to Iowa for a special showcase of some of the best that the bantamweight division has to offer when Cory Sandhagen battles Deiveson Figueiredo in the headlining bout of UFC Des Moines. Before that, though, Reinier de Ridder looks to extend his UFC win streak to three when he takes on Bo Nickal in the second to last bout of the night.
UFC Des Moines Main Event
Stepping into the cage for the first time since suffering a unanimous decision defeat to Umar Nurmagomedov last August, Sandhagen aims to stake his claim toward a shot at 135-lb gold in Des Moines. Boasting one of the more well-rounded skill sets in the division, the Colorado native has all the tools he needs to record a dominant performance in his fifth main event in a row.
UFC Des Moines Co-Main Event
Since moving up to the bantamweight class in late 2023, Figueiredo has enjoyed much success in the Octagon, winning his first three fights in the weight category over Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt and Marlon Vera. Sadly, that impressive streak would be ended following a close contest with Petr Yan at UFC Fight Night 248. Undeterred from claiming a second belt, the previous two-time flyweight champion will go toe-to-toe with yet another strong contender in the UFC Des Moines co-main event this weekend.
In the not too distant past, de Ridder was on top of the world as a high-profile double title holder in ONE Championship. Aiming to build on his legacy even further, “The Dutch Knight” signed with the UFC in 2024, submitting Gerald Meerschaert in his debut. Netting a first round submission over Kevin Holland at UFC 315 in January, the middleweight standout appears primed to continue his ascent up the rankings in UFC Des Moines.
Emerging as a top blue chip prospect in mixed martial arts, Nickal has looked sterling across his UFC career so far with a perfect 4-0 company record. Handedly defeating Paul Craig at UFC 309, Nickal now has the chance to finally crack the 185-lb top 15 by conquering a once two-division champion from another promotion.
Here’s how to watch UFC Des Moines
Online Streaming: You can catch the entire card on ESPN+, but you will need to subscribe in order to do so. Right now, the company is offering a monthly or yearly subscription of $11.99 and $119.99 respectively. For those who want to get more bang out of their buck, there is also the monthly Disney Bundle Deal, which offers ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney+ for $16.99 with included commercials, or $26.99 for no commercials at all.
Start Time and Date: The Preliminaries will begin at 7pm ET, followed by the Main Card at 10pm ET on April 26th.
Bout order for UFC Des Moines
Main Card:
Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (Bantamweight Main Event)
Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal (Middleweight Co-Main Event)
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez (Welterweight)
Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos (Bantamweight)
Cameron Smotherman vs. Serhiy Sidey (Bantamweight)
Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones (Lightweight)
Preliminaries:
Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate (Women’s Bantamweight Featured Bout)
Ryan Loder vs. Azamat Bekoev (Middleweight)
Marina Rodriguez vs. Gillian Robertson (Women’s Strawweight)
Gaston Bolaños vs. Quang Le (Bantamweight)
Thomas Petersen vs. Don’Tale Mayes (Heavyweight)
Juliana Miller vs. Ivana Petrović (Women’s Flyweight)
