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Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Cory Sandhagen stops Deiveson Figueiredo in 2nd round
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen defeated Deiveson Figueiredo in unexpected fashion on Saturday night, forcing the former two-time flyweight champion to submit due to injury to his left knee after a leg lock gone wrong in Round 2. Round 1 of the top-five main event at UFC Fight Night was all Sandhagen. He took Figueiredo to the ground and overwhelmed him with strikes while not allowing Figueiredo to get comfortable. The fight was over at 4:08 of Round 2. Sandhagen (18-5 MMA) called for a title shot later this year, noting beating someone of Figueiredo's caliber greatly increases his credibility. Meanwhile, Figueiredo (24-5-1) goes back to the drawing board. "I want the winner," Sandhagen said, as he plans to keep tabs on the UFC 316 main event between bantamweights Merab Dvalishvilli and Sean O'Malley on June 7 in Newark, N.J. The co-main event saw former ONE Championship star Reinier de Ridder hand former Penn State wrestling standout Bo Nickal his first loss in MMA, earning a second-round TKO. Middleweight de Ridder (20-2) used a wide-ranging combination and a plethora of knees to finish Nickal (7-1) at 1:53. Welterweight Daniel Rodriguez got the last laugh over Santiago Ponzinibbio, earning a third-round KO in a back-and-forth affair that had spectators on their feet. Rodriguez (19-5) gave respect to Ponzinibbio (31-9) and is seeking to remain active for the rest of the year. Bantamweight Montel Jackson had little issue defeating Daniel Marcos, securing a unanimous decision by 30-27 on all three judges' scorecards. Jackson (15-2) handed Marcos his first loss in 18 fights, while Jackson has won six in a row and showcased a well-rounded skillset with constant pressure in Rounds 2 and 3. Bantamweight Serhiy Sidey won an underwhelming unanimous decision against Cameron Smotherman 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 in a wrestle-based bout. Sidey (12-2) has won his last two, while Smotherman (12-5) fell to 1-1 in the promotion. Lightweight Mason Jones opened the UFC Des Moines main card by spoiling the homecoming of Jeremy Stephens with a unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, to showers of boos from the Wells Fargo Arena crowd. Jones (16-2) controlled the center of the Octagon with effortless boxing and several submission attempts. Stephens (29-22) returned to the UFC for the first time since 2021 after bouncing around across different disciplines, including bare-knuckle boxing. It was the UFC's first trip back to Iowa since June 2000 when UFC 26 took center stage. The promotion will transition out of the Midwest for UFC 315 on May 10 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. --Zain Bando, Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
New York Post
04-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen submits Deiveson Figueiredo due to injury
DES MOINES, Iowa — Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen defeated Deiveson Figueiredo in unexpected fashion on Saturday night, forcing the former two-time flyweight champion to submit due to injury to his left knee after a leg lock gone wrong in Round 2. Round 1 of the top-five main event at UFC Fight Night was all Sandhagen. He took Figueiredo to the ground and overwhelmed him with strikes while not allowing Figueiredo to get comfortable. Advertisement The fight was over at 4:08 of Round 2. Sandhagen (18-5 MMA) called for a title shot later this year, noting beating someone of Figueiredo's caliber greatly increases his credibility. Meanwhile, Figueiredo (24-5-1) goes back to the drawing board. 'I want the winner,' Sandhagen said, as he plans to keep tabs on the UFC 316 main event between bantamweights Merab Dvalishvilli and Sean O'Malley on June 7 in Newark, N.J. Advertisement The co-main event saw former ONE Championship star Reinier de Ridder hand former Penn State wrestling standout Bo Nickal his first loss in MMA, earning a second-round TKO. Middleweight de Ridder (20-2) used a wide-ranging combination and a plethora of knees to finish Nickal (7-1) at 1:53. Welterweight Daniel Rodriguez got the last laugh over Santiago Ponzinibbio, earning a third-round KO in a back-and-forth affair that had spectators on their feet. Rodriguez (19-5) gave respect to Ponzinibbio (31-9) and is seeking to remain active for the rest of the year. Advertisement Cory Sandhagen (above) beats down Deiveson Figueiredo during his victory at UFC Fight Night on May 3, 2025. Reese Strickland-Imagn Images Bantamweight Montel Jackson had little issue defeating Daniel Marcos, securing a unanimous decision by 30-27 on all three judges' scorecards. Jackson (15-2) handed Marcos his first loss in 18 fights, while Jackson has won six in a row and showcased a well-rounded skillset with constant pressure in Rounds 2 and 3. Bantamweight Serhiy Sidey won an underwhelming unanimous decision against Cameron Smotherman 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 in a wrestle-based bout. Sidey (12-2) has won his last two, while Smotherman (12-5) fell to 1-1 in the promotion. Advertisement Deiveson Figueiredo is helped from the octagon after his UFC Fight Night loss to Cory Sandhagen. Reese Strickland-Imagn Images Lightweight Mason Jones opened the UFC Des Moines main card by spoiling the homecoming of Jeremy Stephens with a unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, to showers of boos from the Wells Fargo Arena crowd. Jones (16-2) controlled the center of the Octagon with effortless boxing and several submission attempts. Stephens (29-22) returned to the UFC for the first time since 2021 after bouncing around across different disciplines, including bare-knuckle boxing. It was the UFC's first trip back to Iowa since June 2000 when UFC 26 took center stage. The promotion will transition out of the Midwest for UFC 315 on May 10 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
New York Post
03-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
UFC Fight Night predictions: Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo pick, odds
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. The UFC heads to the cornfields as the promotion brings Fight Night to Des Moines, Iowa. Over in the Midwest, we're looking at 12 fights for our wagering pleasure this weekend, with the UFC trying to get away from the Apex. The crowd-less Apex is just not a fun place for fights, and fans bring a different juice for fighters as they jump into the octagon, getting cheered or jeered as they take the cage. It should be a rabid crowd in Iowa as it's the first time that the UFC has been in the Hawkeye State since UFC 26 in June 2000. They also have a solid card in front of them as Saturday's bouts feature a nice mix of stars, former champions and prospects looking to make the leap. It begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ before heading to ESPN2 at 10 p.m. Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Former champ Figueiredo is doing his business at bantamweight, up from flyweight, and is perhaps expectedly a bit undersized at his new weight class. The oddsmakers have Figueiredo as a +350 underdog as he's going to walk into the cage at a 6-inch height disadvantage against Cory Sandhagen. Sandhagen is looking for a title shot with a win Saturday, and surely will shoot for a finish to stake his case at a loaded 135-pound division. Sandhagen by decision (-150) is the most likely outcome, according to the odds and certainly with good reason. Figueiredo has some good power, but Sandhagen is very difficult to hit. Barring knocking Sandhagen unconscious, Figueiredo is going to have a tough night at the office here. Figueiredo is not the better grappler, nor does he have stronger cardio, nor cleaner kickboxing. This should be a clean win for Sandhagen, and by decision is a solid look at the price (-550 on the moneyline). Pick: Sandhagen wins by decision (-150, Caesars). Bo Nickal vs. Reinier de Ridder A former Penn State All-American wrestler, Nickal has all the makings of a pay-per-view star for the UFC. He is a big favorite in this fight against de Ridder, although he's a smaller favorite than he has been in past bouts. Nickal has closed as an at least -1,100 favorite in each of his six UFC or Contender Series fights, so this matchup, when he will walk into the cage with a -330 price tag, profiles as the most competitive to date. The grappling savant won by decision last time out against Paul Craig, when he showcased some sloppy striking but was still able to take home a victory and remain undefeated. Bo Nickal reacts against Scotland's Paul Craig in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts middleweight title bout on Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. AP Where things get a little dicey for de Ridder is that he's not a particularly strong striker, which any opponent of Nickal will need to have in his repertoire to win. Nickal is new to MMA, although he is a decorated grappler, while de Ridder is no slouch himself. I see their grappling abilities canceling each other out a bit in the beginning of the fight, and eventually Nickel to win either late in the second round or early in the third. Pick: Nickal wins in Over 1.5 rounds (-105, DraftKings). Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps Rest of the card Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez: Ponzinibbio moneyline (+100, BetRivers). Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos: Jackson wins inside the distance (+275, Bet365). Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones: Stephens by KO/TKO (+950, BetRivers). Cameron Smotherman vs. Serhiy Sidey: Pass. Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate: Tate by submission (+650, BetRivers). Ryan Loder vs. Azamat Bekoev: Fight goes the distance (+110, DraftKings). Marina Rodriguez vs. Gillian Robertson: Rodriguez by KO/TKO (+1100, Fanatics). Gaston Bolanos vs. Quang Le: Bolanos moneyline (-135, DraftKings). Thomas Petersen vs. Don'Tale Mayes: Peterson by KO/TKO (+400, BetMGM). Juliana Miller vs. Ivana Petrovic: Pass.
