UFC Des Moines’ Amazing Main Card Saturday Night

UFC Des Moines looms. This Saturday, Dana White’s promotion touches down in Iowa for the first show in the state since June 9, 2000. White had yet to join the company at the time of the initial trip to Iowa and would not do so until 2001.

Wells Fargo Center, the home venue of the Iowa Barnstormers in the IFL, will be playing host to an event nearly 25 years in the making over the weekend. While the Barnstormers are away in Jacksonville on Saturday evening, competitive violence takes center-stage in the Barnstormers’ house for UFC Des Moines.

Live coverage of Saturday’s show kicks off with the prelims at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT on ESPN+ inside the United States. Main card action caps the evening at 10 pm ET/ 7 pm PT. The UFC Des Moines main card will be simulcast over ESPN2 on linear television.

All told, if there are no cancellations or postponements to the bout order on Saturday night, the final version of the show features a full schedule of 12 MMA fights.

UFC Des Moines Main Event: No. 4 Contender Deiveson Figuereido vs. No. 5 Contender Cory Sandhagen

At the top of the bill 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 main attraction is a five-round fight at five minutes per round to close out the show.

Sandhagen enters the main event of the evening having gone 3-2 in his last five fights dating back to October of 2021. Last time out, he saw his three-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Umar Nurmagomedov (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) by way of unanimous decision in Abu Dhabi after five rounds on ABC.

This is somewhat of a “home game” for Cory Sandhagen in the UFC Des Moines main event this weekend. Sandhagen’s father was raised in Manchester, IA, roughly two and a half hours away from Des Moines. Will he take that next step toward a bid at the UFC Bantamweight Championship with a win?

Meanwhile, Deiveson Figuereido comes into the weekend sporting a 3-2 record of his own. Back in November of last year, he sustained a unanimous decision defeat to Petr Yan (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in Macau.

The stakes are high for both men in this main attraction, but even moreso for the latter ahead of UFC Des Moines given that he’s already won a belt at 125 lbs in the past. Who will emerge as the victor over the weekend?

UFC Des Moines Co-Main Event: No. 13 Contender Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal

Right before the main event of the evening, the co-headliner sees action happening in the middleweight division. No. 13 contender Reinier de Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), an alumnus of ONE Championship, squares off against undefeated Bo Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC). This is a three-round bout at five minutes a piece.

de Ridder will be making his third walk to the famous Octagon on the strength of a 3-2 record in his last five fights. At the moment, he’s won three in a row dating back to his one and only fight in UAE Warriors in July of last year.

Most recently, he finished Kevin Holland (27-13, 1 NC MMA, 14-10, 1 NC UFC) with a first-round submission via rear-naked choke back in January during UFC 311 from Intuit Dome from Inglewood, CA.

This is a seasoned veteran of the sport in action on Saturday night. Reinier de Ridder has seen the highest of the highs during his time in ONE Championship, winning that promotion’s titles at middleweight (205 lbs) and light heavyweight (225 lbs.) His opponent in the UFC Des Moines co-main event has proven to be a tough customer at the shop.

Across the way, Bo Nickal has yet to lose thus far as a professional in MMA. Dating back to his amateur career, he’s won nine fights in succession.

Last fall inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, he bested Paul Craig (17-9-1 MMA, 9-9-1 UFC) via unanimous decision following three rounds of action. Reinier de Ridder is a brilliant test for Bo Nickal given his championship pedigree in the past.

How will Nickal handle the pressure of the highest profile fight to-date in his UFC career?

UFC Des Moines: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez

Also on the UFC Des Moines main card, you’ll be seeing a welterweight contest between Santiago Ponzinibbio (30-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC) in his 39th career fight and 20th UFC bout, and Daniel Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC). This pairing was supposed to have happened already.

In September of 2023, these two fighters were booked to fight one another during Noche UFC, but the pairing was scrubbed after the latter returned a positive drug test.  Ponzinibbio will be entering the cage with a record of 2-3 over the course of his last five fights.

Back on Jan. 11, he scored a third-round standing TKO by way of punches over Carlston Harris (19-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC) from the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, NV. The victory brought an end to a two-fight losing streak for Ponzinibbio.

This is a milestone fight in his UFC tenure. Will appearance number 20 result in a lucky 13th win?

In the other corner, Daniel Rodriguez comes into this weekend’s event having gone 2-3 in his own right over his five most recent fights. He returned to the win column in his Oct. 12 contest by split decision against Alex Morono at the UFC Apex.

His last sustained winning streak in the promotion was a four-fight stretch between April of 2021 and September of 2022. Is Saturday’s contest the start of another such streak?

Final Thoughts

Which main card fights are you looking forward to on UFC Des Moines?