UFC Fight Night Sandhagen vs Figueiredo: Fight card, time, telecast, live streaming info & more

UFC Fight Night has some interesting match-ups this week

The fact that this weekend marks only the third time the UFC has brought an event to Iowa, and the first in 25 years, seems incredible considering the state’s tremendous effect on the promotion toward the conclusion of the SEG period and the first few years under Zuffa.

Miletich Fighting Systems, based in Bettendorf, was the UFC’s first super-camp, with five members of the now-defunct squad formerly claiming championship gold.

Pat Miletich, the team’s founder and commander, held the original welterweight championship. Jens Pulver, a 2023 Hall of Fame entrant, was the first lightweight champion and Matt Hughes and Tim Sylvia were each two-time division champions.

While Robbie Lawler won the welterweight championship several years after joining the MFS crew, the Iowa outfit is where he got his start, and he’ll become the fourth member of the squad to be enshrined into the UFC Hall of Fame later this year, joining Miletich, Hughes, and Pulver.

Given the state’s rich combat sports history, how long Iowans have been waiting for the UFC to visit, and the incredible lineup of matchups set to take place at Wells Fargo Arena this weekend, don’t be surprised if Saturday turns out to be a raucous affair, prompting the promotion to make far more frequent visits to “The Hawkeye State.”

UFC Fight Night Sandhagen vs Figueiredo: Main card

• Bantamweight: Cory Sandhagen vs Deiveson Figueiredo
• Middleweight: Reinier de Ridder vs Bo Nickal
• Welterweight: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Daniel Rodriguez
• Bantamweight: Montel Jackson vs Daniel Marcos
• Bantamweight: Yana Santos vs Miesha Tate

The Octagon is coming to DES MOINES 🚨@CorySandhagenx vs @Daico_Deiveson headlines the first ever #UFCDesMoines!🎟️ Tickets on sale March 21#LiveFromDSM | #WellsFargoArena | @IAEventsCenter pic.twitter.com/Vz5wMmwVbG

— UFC (@ufc) March 13, 2025

UFC Fight Night Sandhagen vs Figueiredo: Prelim card

• Bantamweight: Cameron Smotherman vs Serhiy Sidey
• Lightweight: Jeremy Stephens vs Mason Jones
• Women’s Bantamweight: Yana Santos vs Miesha Tate
• Middleweight: Ryan Loder vs Azamat Bekoev
• Women’s Strawweight: Marina Rodriguez vs Gillian Robertson
• Bantamweight: Gaston Bolaños vs Quang Le
• Heavyweight: Thomas Petersen vs Don’Tale Mayes
• Women’s Flyweight: Juliana Miller vs Ivana Petrović

Cory Sandhagen vs Deiveson Figueiredo

Bantamweights highlight this weekend’s return to Iowa, with Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo facing battle in a key main event bout. Sandhagen, who has been a staple in the championship picture for numerous years, returns for the first time since losing a title eliminator to Umar Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi last summer.

Wheels up to Des Moines 🛫@CorySandhagenx takes on Deiveson Figueiredo in a bantamweight clash you don't want to miss! [ #UFCDesMoines ➡️ LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/ViKLKz5n1b

— UFC (@ufc) April 28, 2025

Prior to that, the 33-year-old had won three consecutive fights and is 10-4 overall in the Octagon, including victories over Frankie Edgar, Song Yadong, and Marlon “Chito” Vera.

Figueiredo, a two-time flyweight champion, stepped up in weight around the end of 2023, beginning with a decision win over Rob Font before adding victories over Cody Garbrandt and Vera to his CV, setting up a meeting with Petr Yan in Macau last year. He lost to the previous champion in five rounds and now hopes to maintain his position in the divisional standings by defeating Sandhagen.

Reinier de Ridder vs Bo Nickal

Reinier de Ridder fights Bo Nickal in the middleweight division’s last bout on Saturday. The Dutch veteran debuted in the UFC at the end of last year, facing Gerald Meerschaert before submitting him in the third round.

He swept past Kevin Holland at UFC 311 in January for his second UFC victory (and third consecutive overall), looking much more like the powerful grappler and possible divisional danger many expected when he signed with the company.

Nickal has taken a calm and steady approach to his UFC career thus far, winning twice in his rookie and sophomore seasons and most recently sweeping the scorecards in a much-discussed contest with Paul Craig at UFC 309 in New York last year.

The former Hodge Trophy winner and Big 10 Athlete of the Year is 7-0 overall and might move up significantly in the division with a win against the seasoned and dangerous de Ridder this weekend.

Also Read: Exclusive: Bo Nickal on Khamzat Chimaev, WWE crossover, upcoming clash with Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night & more

Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Daniel Rodriguez

Veteran welterweights Santiago Ponzinibbio and Daniel Rodriguez face battle in a fight between divisional stalwarts eager to build on previous victories. Ponzinibbio ended a two-fight losing streak with a third-round knockout of Carlston Harris in January, earning only his third win in four years.

📅 3 de mayo:🔥 Santiago "Argentine Dagger" Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez 🔥 #UFC pic.twitter.com/pOAOAFniSZ

— UFC Español (@UFCEspanol) March 13, 2025

The Argentine remains a durable and dangerous presence in the “Second 15” of the welterweight rankings, and he hopes to win consecutive fights for the first time since winning seven straight from 2019 to 2021.

Rodriguez turned things around again in mid-October, edging out Alex Morono on the scorecards to snap a three-fight losing run. Over the previous several years, he’s fought a consistent diet of tough assignments, including Neil Magny, Ian Machado Garry and Kelvin Gastelum, and he’s gone 8-4 in his first 12 fights.

Montel Jackson vs Daniel Marcos

On Saturday night, Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) grads Montel Jackson and Daniel Marcos will face off in a key bantamweight encounter. Jackson comes into Saturday’s fight having won back-to-back first-round knockouts and five consecutive victories overall.

Last July in Denver, the Milwaukee native dispatched Da’Mon Blackshear in only 18 seconds, and with each subsequent appearance, he appears to be a contender in the talent-rich category.

Marcos, a member of the DWCS Class of ’22, has a 4-0 record with one no contest in his first five UFC fights, most recently winning a split decision against Adrian Yanez on last year’s final event.

The rising Peruvian is unbeaten in 18 fights and hopes to take another good step forward in the ultra-competitive 135-pound division with a win this weekend in Iowa.

Yana Santos vs Miesha Tate

Yana Santos and Miesha Tate will compete in one of three women’s bouts on Saturday’s fight show. Santos returns to action for the first time since August, when she demolished Chelsea Chandler and snapped a three-fight skid.

The 35-year-old veteran has faced a slew of contenders and has consistently ranked in the Top 15 during her UFC career, and she has previously won in pairs, a trend she hopes to continue this weekend.

Tate fights for the first time since defeating Julia Avila in the third round via submission in Austin, Texas, in early December 2023, which stopped a two-fight losing streak.

The former bantamweight champion is 2-2 since returning to active competition, and a win over Santos would propel her back into the Top 10 of the division she previously dominated.

Date, Time and Venue

UFC Fight Night Sandhagen vs Figueiredo is scheduled for Saturday, May 3, live from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, with the main card starting at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT (Saturday), 3 am BST (Sunday) and 7:30 a.m. IST (Sunday) in India. Please note that these timings may vary depending on the duration of the main card fights.

Where to watch UFC Fight Night Sandhagen vs Figueiredo in India?

UFC Fight Night Sandhagen vs Figueiredo will be aired live on Sony Sports Network and SonyLiv in India.

Where to watch around the globe?

To catch all the action of UFC Fight Night Sandhagen vs Figueiredo, tune in to ESPN+.

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