Latest news with #UFCIowa
USA Today
19-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bo Nickal won't shy away from grinder\u00a0with Reinier de Ridder\u00a0at UFC Iowa
Bo Nickal won't shy away from grinder with Reinier de Ridder at UFC Iowa Wrestling standout says he's 'down for it' with challenge COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – The tests keep getting stiffer for unbeaten wrestling standout Bo Nickal. In two weeks, he'll have arguably his toughest assignment yet, at least on paper, when he touches down in a state he spent some time in during his prep and collegiate wrestling careers: Iowa. Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) meets former two-division ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 67 co-main event in Des Moines on May 3. Nickal, coming off a decision win over constant ground threat Paul Craig, is more than a 2-1 betting favorite in the fight. De Ridder recently dropped a bit of a challenge Nickal's way when he said fans aren't interested in seeing them strike – a debatable claim, to be certain. Instead, the Dutchman thinks he and the American should figure things out on the canvas. Nickal said he won't shy away from it when the cage door closes. "I'm down for it," Nickal told MMA Junkie at his American Top Team training base in South Florida. "I think for me, the priority is to just do my best. I focus on my attitude and my effort, and I'm grateful for this opportunity. I'm going to go out and go 100 percent the whole time. I'm going to keep bringing it from the first bell to the last. That's all I can control. For me, it's just go out there and give 100 percent effort." Nickal said his win over Craig was a learning experience that could prove to be invaluable down the road. At UFC 309 this past November in New York, Nickal went the distance for the first time. In fact, Nickal's 15 minutes in the cage with Craig was essentially double the total cage time in his first six fights, all stoppage wins. "That was huge for my growth," Nickal said. "My time in the cage doubled just in that one fight. For me, that's one of the most valuable things right now is just continue to rack up that experience. That's one of the reasons why I'm down here at American Top Team training with the best guys in the world is to build that experience up, build that confidence. "For me, that last fight (against Craig), I think that wasn't what people expected. For me, the growth and the time in the cage was super, super valuable." Check out Nickal's full interview with Mike Bohn above.
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Yana Santos: Title run starts with win over former idol Miesha Tate at UFC Iowa
Yana Santos: Title run starts with win over former idol Miesha Tate at UFC Iowa
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Santiago Ponzinibbio aims to finish Daniel Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN 67, but ready for war
Santiago Ponzinibbio aims to finish Daniel Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN 67, but ready for war UFC welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio will aim to finish back-to-back opponents when he meets Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Iowa in May. Show Caption Hide Caption UFC Iowa: Santiago Ponzinibbio ready for war with Daniel Rodriguez UFC welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio speaks to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn ahead of his UFC on ESPN 67 fight against Daniel Rodriguez. COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – UFC welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio isn't sure what to expect when he travels to Des Moines, Iowa for the first time, but he knows he'll be ready for a knock-down, drag-out type of fight if necessary. In what will be his second fight of the year, Ponzinibbio (30-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC) faces Daniel Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN 67 on May 3. The event takes place at Wells Fargo Arena, which according to the information he's received, might be one of the few points of interest in the city. "I've never been to this place," Ponzinibbio told MMA Junkie. "I was asking the people what is there, and they say there's not too much to do, but I'm gonna fight." The "Argentine Dagger" faces fellow 38-year-old Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in what many expect to be a thrilling affair on the feet. Ponzinibbio owns three Performance of the Night-winning finishes in his UFC tenure, and comes into this fight on the heels of a fantastic third-round finish of Carlston Harris. "It's going to be a pretty fun fight," Ponzinibbio told. "He's a striker like me. … It's going to be a fun fight for the fans for sure." Ponzinibbio knows Rodriguez is a tough out, which could make for a hard-fought fight that reaches the judges scorecards. The Argentine is no stranger to earning bonuses in bouts that go the distance as he's racked up three Fight of the Night awards as well. He knows it's a possibility that Rodriguez sees the final horn, but remains confident the fight won't go the distance. "Always ready for three rounds of war," Ponzinibbio said. "If a knockout comes early, that's good. I'm ready. I feel ready to finish this guy, you know? I feel I can finish this guy. I'm probably going to finish, but if it's necessary I need to fight 15 minutes in a war, I'm going to be ready – but I believe that I'm going to finish before that." Rodriguez bounced back from a three-fight skid in his last appearance by winning a split decision over Alex Morono. Ponzinibbio also returned to the win column in his last outing, but the finish of Harris was definitive, notching the seventh finish of his UFC career.
