Las Vegas – UFC® delivers its first event in Des Moines, Iowa, headlined by a pivotal bantamweight bout that will see No. 4 ranked contender Cory Sandhagen collide with No. 5 Deiveson Figueiredo. The co-main event will see No. 13 ranked middleweight contender Reinier De Ridder square off with undefeated Bo Nickal.
UFC® FIGHT NIGHT: SANDHAGEN vs. FIGUEIREDO takes place Sat., May 3 at Wells Fargo Arena. The entire card will be available on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast on ESPN+ in English and Spanish, starting with the prelims at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. The main card will then kick off at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
UFC® FIGHT NIGHT: SANDHAGEN vs. FIGUEIREDO tickets will go on sale Fri., March 21 at 10 a.m. CT and are available for purchase at Hy-VeeTix.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wed., March 19 at 10 a.m. CT via the website UFCFightClub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thurs., March 20 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
Sandhagen (17-5, fighting out of Aurora, Colo.) plans to kick off his 2025 campaign with another highlight-reel performance. A dynamic striker who has won three of his last four, he has delivered thrilling stoppages of Frankie Edgar, Marlon Moraes and Song Yadong. Sandhagen now intends to defend his spot in the rankings by taking out Figueiredo.
Former UFC flyweight champion Figueiredo (24-4-1, fighting out of Soure, Pará, Brazil) looks to stake his claim for a bantamweight title shot. A dangerous finisher, he has secured exciting submission victories over Cody Garbrandt, Alex Perez and Joseph Benavidez. Figueiredo now hopes to become the first fighter to knock out Sandhagen and continue his ascent up the 135-pound ladder.
De Ridder (19-2, fighting out of Breda, Netherlands) looks to continue his hot streak and cement his status as a title threat. A former champion outside the UFC, he has earned memorable wins against Kevin Holland and Gerald Meerschaert since joining the world’s premier MMA promotion last year. De Ridder is now determined to hand Nickal his first career loss.
The surging Nickal (7-0, fighting out of State College, Penn.) plans to continue his winning ways with a dominant performance. A three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion, he has earned notable victories over Paul Craig, Cody Brundage and Jamie Pickett. Nickal now has his sights set on earning the biggest win of his career to crack the middleweight Top 15.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Jeremy Stephens (29-21 1NC, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.) returns to the Octagon against Mason Jones (11-2 1NC, fighting out of Blaenavon, Wales)
- No. 15 ranked bantamweight contender Montel Jackson (15-2, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) takes on unbeaten Daniel Marcos (17-0 1NC, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla. by way of Lima, Peru)
- Thomas Petersen (9-3, fighting out of Webster, Minn.) locks horns with Don’Tale Mayes (11-8 1NC, fighting out of Louisville, Ken.) at heavyweight
- Ryan Loder (8-1, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) meets Azamat Bekoev (19-3, fighting out of Vladikavkaz, Russia) in a middleweight bout
- Junior Tafa (6-3, fighting out of Brisbane, Australia) faces Tuco Tokkos (10-5, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla. by way of London, England) at light heavyweight
- No. 9 ranked strawweight contender Marina Rodriguez (17-5-2, fighting out of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil) battles No. 12 Gillian Robertson (15-8, fighting out of Port St. Lucie, Fla. by way of Niagara Falls, Canada)
- No. 10 ranked bantamweight contender Yana Santos (15-8 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Saint Petersburg, Russia) takes on former champion and current No. 11 Miesha Tate (20-9, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.)
- Santiago Ponzinibbio (31-8, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) meets Daniel Rodriguez (18-5, fighting out of Alhambra, Calif.) in an exciting welterweight tilt
- Trevor Peek (9-3 1NC, fighting out of Denver, Colo. by way of Scottsboro, Ala.) meets JeongYeong Lee (11-2, fighting out of Daegu, South Korea) at featherweight
- Cameron Smotherman (12-4, fighting out of Houston, Texas) faces Dana White’s Contender Series signee Serhiy Sidey (11-2, fighting out of Burlington, Ontario, Canada) in a bantamweight bout
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit UFC.com. All bouts are live and subject to change. Please click?here?to apply for credentials to the event.
###
About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and approximately 266 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 900 million households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.
About Wells Fargo Arena
Wells Fargo Arena, located in the heart of downtown Des Moines, Iowa, is a premier entertainment and event venue and part of the Iowa Events Center. With a seating capacity of over 17,000, the arena hosts a diverse range of events, including concerts, family shows, sporting events, conventions, and more. As a key destination in the Midwest, Wells Fargo Arena is known for its state-of-the-art facilities, top-notch amenities, and its ability to deliver world-class experiences to both fans and event organizers. The venue is a part of the Iowa Events Center and is owned by Polk County and professionally managed by Oak View Group, which is committed to bringing the best in live entertainment to central Iowa.
About ESPN+
https://espnpressroom.com/us/espnplus
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading multiplatform sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, the leading sports app, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, leading social and digital platforms, ESPN.com, ESPN Audio, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.
