UFC Des Moines: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo Full Card Analysis

UFC Des Moines: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo – 5.3.2025 – Fight Predictions and Analysis

Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC Des Moines: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo. Fans are looking forward to this event at Wells Fargo Arena headlined by title contenders at bantamweight. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick as our records will not reflect confidence in each selection. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few.

Current Record

• Anthony: 111-59-1 (Last Year 321-191-0, 63%)
• Nick: 111-59-1 (Last Year 316-196-0, 62%)

*Fight odds were last updated from Bet99 on 5-2-2025 at 10pm EST

Preliminary Card- Starts 7:00pm EST

Ivana Petrovic -250 vs Juliana Miller +200

• Anthony: The card today begins at women’s flyweight with Ivana Petrovic taking on Juliana Miller. I was a big supporter of Miller after her performance on The Ultimate Fighter, but since winning the tournament championship her fights have not been so pretty. She has been struggling to make the flyweight limit and failed to make weight again on her first attempt yesterday. Miller has been exposed for fighting recklessly and relying on her offensive jiu jitsu too much. While I am a fan of Miller’s grappling acumen, she is far too willing to lay on her back and attempt to win fights from her guard. Petrovic does not seem like an opponent that will get caught in Miller’s submission attempts on the ground. The Croatian has put forth some solid showings since joining the UFC. She is the better technical striker in this matchup and has the far superior gas tank when compared to Miller. Anytime it comes to betting on these fights I cannot back a fighter with a professional record worse than .500 overall. Another loss today would drop Miller’s record to a mere 3-4 as a pro. She is a live underdog without a doubt, but there is not enough value backing her here at +200 odds or even better. Petrovic should score the judge’s favour by landing more damage and much cleaner attacks. Ivana Petrovic by Decision
• Nick: Ivana Petrovic is a well-rounded fighter, but she hasn’t been tested extensively against top level competition. She has decent power on the feet, she has shown solid cardio and durability, but it seems she prefers to grapple when she takes on formidable strikers. She is 7-2 professionally, 1-2 in the UFC, coming off a hard fought decision loss over a tough out in Jamey-Lyn Horth. In this particular match-up, her clearest path to victory will be to keep things standing. Juliana Miller is an aggressive BJJ player and very tall and lengthy for the division. She’s extremely raw and lacks technical ability on the feet, but she’s more than willing to eat strikes to throw them. While her striking is far from refined, she almost always puts out consistent volume. Her cardio has been solid and her BJJ is surprisingly advanced for a 28-year-old. As talented as she is on the mat, she’s just 3-3 professionally and 0-2 in the UFC. If she can’t find the takedowns she needs to get her ground game going, she almost always finds herself decimated on the feet, even against a questionable level of opponent. This is an extremely low level match-up so the line does feel a bit wide here. That being said, I expect Petrovic can mostly keep this fight standing. She should be able to work behind her jabs as she breaks Miller down over the course of three rounds. Ivana Petrovic by Decision

Thomas Petersen -250 vs Don’Tale Mayes +200

• Anthony: Next is a bout between Thomas Petersen and Don’Tale Mayes. While this matchup appears rather easy to handicap, this is a very low-level fight and anything can happen when heavyweights get in the cage. Petersen is rightfully the betting favorite after Mayes’ recent skid in the UFC. Mayes has always had issues when it comes to defending opponent takedowns. He has 57 percent takedown defense and in his last fight we saw Mayes taken down and submitted in just over one minute. He really tends to struggle when it comes to stuffing the initial shot from opponents and building back up to his feet. This presents an issue for Mayes in this particular bout since Petersen is, if nothing else, effective as a grappler. Since joining the promotion,Petersen has scored at least one takedown in every fight. Petersen is also comfortable in clinch positions and while holding opponents up against the fence. Mayes is the better technical striker in this fight but he will need to worry about stuffing shots before he can let those hands go. Mayes has a seven-inch reach advantage but that will also be negated whenever these two are in close range. I am expecting Petersen to outwork Mayes here today and win this fight thanks to his grappling. Thomas Petersen by Round Three KO
• Nick: Thomas Petersen is 9-3 professionally, and at 30-years old he’s actually one of the younger heavyweights on the roster. Peterson is relatively well-rounded, but he can be tentative at times as he waits for fights to come for him. He has power on the feet, but he hasn’t really developed the ability to throw extended combinations. He’s a capable offensive wrestler, but he seems hesitant at times to lean on that part of his game. His cardio and durability are both questionable at best, and he’s coming off a brutal KO loss to Shamil Gaziev in a fight that took place back in February. Don’Tale Mayes is a powerful striker, but he’s sometimes slow and plodding and he often seems to wait for the fight to come to him. He can be explosive once he gets going, but he’s the type of fighter that needs to eat a few shots to wake up and get aggressive. He’s continued to show improvements both in his striking and grappling ability, but there is no denying the fact he’s been dramatically inconsistent at the UFC level. This is a low level heavyweight match-up, which makes it a volatile fight and a difficult one to call. I’ll take a shot on the underdog as his size advantage here should force this fight to play out much closer than the odds suggest. Don’Tale Mayes by Decision

Gaston Bolanos -140 vs Quang Le +115

• Anthony: This is a matchup at bantamweight between Quang Le and Gaston Bolanos. The last time that Bolanos was in action came against Cortavious Romious last November. He fought extremely well in that matchup, cashing as the underdog and showing off much improved grappling skills. Bolanos is really known primarily for his hands and exceptional offensive boxing. He has consistent striking volume but also a very high rate of accuracy when it comes to connecting with his shots. Le is a live underdog in this spot but he has shown more holes than Bolanos has defensively. He lost both of his previous UFC appearances while being out-landed by a fair margin. While Le isn’t afraid to get into it with his opponents, he’s a bit too reliant on his power which does not usually equate to success in this weight class. I think in a matchup likely taking place on the feet, Bolanos should have the slight edge boxing. He will be landing the cleaner and more consistent strikes while Le moves forward looking to take his head off. Gaston Bolanos by Decision
• Nick: Quang Le is 8-2 professionally, with his two most recent victories coming via KO. He enters this match-up on a two fight losing streak, falling to Chris Gutierrez via decision in his promotional debut, and more recently via KO to Long Xiao back in November of 2024. Le has primarily fought for a highly regarded regional promotion in LFA. He’s 33 years-old, fighting out of Vietnam. He’s primarily a striker with excellent power for the division, but he’s hittable in exchanges and often sacrifices defense to close distance and swing for the fences. Gaston Bolanos is 8-4 professionally, coming off an impressive decision win over Cortavious Romious back in November of 2024. Bolanos is now 2-1 in the UFC. His MMA resume is somewhat uninspiring, but he’s also had a solid professional run in both Muay Thai and kickboxing. If this fight takes place at striking range, Bolanos should have a considerable advantage in terms of his striking ability. This is a relatively low level match-up, and it’s tough to back either fighter with any soft of confidence here. I’m on the Bolanos side, but it’s one of the tougher fights on this card to predict. Gaston Bolanos by Decision

Gillian Robertson -250 vs Marina Rodriguez +200

• Anthony: This is a fight at women’s strawweight between Marina Rodriguez and Gillian Robertson. I expect Robertson to do well in this matchup given her clear grappling advantage. It also seems like a rather obvious pick given the recent performances from both women. Rodriguez is on a 1-4 skid currently after losing both of her last fights. She was taken down on three of four attempts in her most recent bout against Iasmin Lucindo. Robertson is a black belt in BJJ with seven wins by submission in the UFC. Her best showings have come recently with wins in seven of her previous eight showings. Robertson has excellent timing when it comes to attempting and executing her takedowns. Rodriguez also defends just 62 percent of her opponent’s takedown attempts. She does have a slight lead on Robertson when this fight is standing but Rodriguez lacks any real power in her hands. Robertson has also continued to improve as a striker over the past few years. Her kicks are much better and now Robertson feels comfortable throwing punches in combination. She should be able to hold her own while standing and eventually drive Rodriguez down to the mat today. Robertson is the much stronger athlete and better overall mixed martial artist. I am very confident predicting that she will win today. Gillian Robertson by Decision
• Nick: Gillian Robertson is outstanding on the mat, with nine of her fifteen professional wins coming via submission. Her striking continues to improve, and having recently moved down to strawweight she’s no longer outsized by the majority of her opponents. She seems to be entering her athletic prime, and she enters this match-up having won five of her last six fights. Marina Rodriguez is excellent in the clinch and she lands more than five significant strikes per minute. She is somewhat upright in her stance, but she has excellent cardio and durability and she is certainly willing to take damage in order to land on her opponents. She throws combinations better than most of the women in the division, and she’s been in there against a much higher level of competition compared to her opponent in this match-up. That being said, Rodriguez has continuously struggled against grapplers and Robertson might be the best grappler she’s faced in her career. As long as Robertson finds safe entries for takedowns, I expect she’ll dominate this fight on the ground. Gillian Robertson by Decision

Azamat Bekoev -400 vs Ryan Loder +300

• Anthony: This is a fight at middleweight between Ryan Loder and Azamat Bekoev. It is the first fight for Loder since winning The Ultimate Fighter last year. I think Loder is extremely talented with a bright future ahead of him in this division. Originally he was slated to fight Cody Brundage last month before withdrawing from that matchup. Now Loder is drawing into a much tougher test against Bekoev. He made his debut in the promotion earlier this year with a quick finish of Zach Reese. Bekoev was formerly LFA middleweight champion and he is currently riding a seven-fight win streak. He appears to have thudding power in his hands that Loder does not possess. Bekoev trains with a great group at American Top Team and he is extremely well rounded. Loder poses some real problems for athletes with poor wrestling but I do not think he will find easy takedowns in this fight here today. Bekoev has an exceptional base and I would be surprised to see him grounded for more than a minute or two. The odds do seem off for this fight given Loder’s polished skillset. However, this is a difficult stylistic matchup and I doubt that he will be able to initiate grappling exchanges. Bekoev will keep this fight standing and land the bigger strikes. He is extremely durable and I do not see any easy paths to victory for Loder. Azamat Bekoev by Round Three KO
• Nick: Azmat Bekoev is 29-years old and 19-3 professionally, coming off an impressive KO win in his UFC debut over Zachary Reese. Prior to his UFC debut, Bekoev had taken on a quality level of regional opponents, fighting primarily in ACA and LFA. Bekoev is decent everywhere, but most of his success has come on the mat. He has KO power on the feet, but he certainly prefers to grapple when the opportunities are there for him. Ryan Loder is coming off a ground-and-pound KO win over Robert Valentin, back in August of 2024. The victory afforded him the title of The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 tournament champion at middleweight. Loder has a solid wrestling base, as a former D-1 All American. He’s getting somewhat of a late start to his MMA career, but he’s an explosive athlete and his striking seems to improve every time we see him in the cage. Loder mostly grapples to control position, which means most of his success comes from winning minutes on the mat. He does have dangerous BJJ when his opponents present him openings, but there is certainly no denying the fact his grappling style is conservative. He usually comes out strong and fades gradually as his fights wear on. His cardio doesn’t seem to be a strength, but his style allows him to stay effective for fifteen minutes. On the feet, he’s tentative. He has power in his strikes, but he doesn’t throw much in terms of volume. Defensively, he’s certainly hittable in exchanges as most of his opponents know he mostly only strikes to set up his grappling. Loder may be able to take Bekoev down here, but I’m not confident he’ll be able to keep him there. Bekoev is the better striker in this matchup. I expect that will be enough for him to pull away on the scorecards. Azmat Bekoev by Decision

Miesha Tate -140 vs Yana Santos +115

• Anthony: The featured prelim is a women’s bantamweight fight with Yana Santos set to face Miesha Tate. This is not the most thrilling of matchups with both ladies entering the cage on the wrong side of 35. Tate only has a few fights left ahead of her and I like this piece of matchmaking against another veteran opponent. Tate made a career by utilizing her offensive wrestling. She will likely follow that same game plan here against an opponent with 42 percent takedown defense. Tate converted four of five takedown attempts in her last fight against Julia Avila. She was able to accrue nearly eleven minutes of control time there and outland Avila by a margin of more than 100 significant strikes. It was a refreshing performance out of Tate after losing her two bouts prior. Santos is a solid striker when bouts are standing but Tate has a clear advantage whenever this fight is on the mat. Santos’ hands are good, but she is more of a volume striker rather than a real power threat. She will need to keep this fight standing for its majority if she is going to pull off the upset. I find it hard to trust bantamweight women at this age and I do not plan on betting on this fight. However, Tate is the rightful favorite in my eyes. I would feel very confident taking her today if not for the questions surrounding her age and how much “fight” she has left in her. Miesha Tate by Decision
• Nick: A former women’s UFC bantamweight champion, Tate has found most of her success utilizing her advanced wrestling and offensive grappling ability. She’s coming off a respectable win over Julia Avila via submission, but she has been out of action since that fight took place back in November of 2023. She’s decent on the feet, but she’s somewhat slow and plodding in her approach. She has decent power relative to the rest of the division, but it’s rare she lands it as she struggles to string together effective combinations. In almost all of her fights she looks to ground her opponents and then dominate them on the ground. Yana Santos is generally well-rounded. She has crisp boxing and fights at an effective pace. At her best she strikes well at range and in the clinch. She’s a dangerous offensive grappler if her fights hit the mat, but she does make questionable decisions at times and she recently seems to be more hittable than ever in lengthy exchanges. These are two aging fighters which makes this a somewhat volatile match-up. I do prefer the Tate side as I expect she can lean on her grappling and ultimately win this fight on the ground. Miesha Tate by Decision

Main Card- Starts 10:00pm EST

Mason Jones -650 vs Jeremy Stephens +450

• Anthony: The main card begins with this lightweight fight between Jeremy Stephens and Mason Jones. This marks a return to the promotion for both fighters who have most recently competed outside of the UFC. Currently Stephens is still under contract in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. He makes his return to the octagon after more than three years to compete in his hometown of Des Moines. Stephens’ best attribute has always been his boxing. He is on a three-fight win streak in BKFC. He also competed in two boxing matches including a fight ruled a draw against Jose Aldo. Of course he is a large underdog here returning to mixed martial arts at the age of 38. He is going to come out swinging in this fight, hopeful to connect with a KO in front of his home crowd. I believe that Stephens will expend a lot of energy early looking to throw big shots and land prolonged boxing combinations. Jones is the bigger and stronger athlete with better grappling skills. While Jones first stint in the promotion was a bit mediocre, he has won four straight bouts in Cage Warriors since he was originally cut. He has a three-inch edge in reach against Stephens and the better overall reaction time. I do not plan on betting much on this matchup but Jones is without a doubt the rightful favorite. His gameplan likely involves grappling Stephens in order to drain his gas tank and challenge his submission defense. Jones will probably find a way to win this matchup, but it is worth noting the juicy price to bet on a Stephens knockout at +1000 odds. Mason Jones by Round Three Submission
• Nick: This fight features two lightweights who were once cut, but are making their respective returns to the promotion in this matchup. Jeremy Stephens made his debut in the UFC in 2007, and then stuck on the roster for the majority of the 14 years that followed. He was cut from the roster in 2021, after failing to secure a victory in each of his last six match-ups. Stephens is relatively well-rounded, but he’s built a name for himself at striking range. His kill-or-be-killed style is often described as fan friendly, but his general recklessness has also cost him in many of his fights against quality level competition. He’s decent on the mat, but his submission defense is questionable at best. After he was cut in 2021, he spent some time fighting for PFL as well as BKFC, producing mixed results with each promotion. He makes his return here at 38-years old with a 29-21 professional MMA record. Mason Jones was once one of the more highly regarded prospects in the division, but he was cut from the UFC after suffering a decision loss to a tough out in L’udovid Klein back in 2022. Since then, he’s strung together four straight victories. He’s making his return to the promotion here with a 15-2 professional record. He carries a black belt in BJJ, Judo and kickboxing. He’s a very well-rounded fighter with no singular standout skill, but he’s shown finishing ability against a decent level of regional competition. Jones is the former lightweight and welterweight Cage Warriors champion. He sometimes leaves himself open to counter-shots as his aggressive style isn’t matched by technical prowess, but he is advanced enough as a boxer to hang with a good chunk of this division. Stephens is dangerous on the feet against anyone, but Jones has an excellent chin. Additionally, Jones has a very clear path to victory here if he chooses to lean on his wrestling. The line feels a bit wide, but Jones is the more well-rounded fighter in this match-up. Additionally, Stephens is far past his physical prime. Mason Jones by Round Three KO

Serhiy Sidey -140 vs Cameron Smotherman +115

• Anthony: This is a fun matchup at bantamweight between Serhiy Sidey and Cameron Smotherman. These two athletes have put on good fights since joining the promotion and I am expecting a great brawl between them today. Smotherman cashed as a huge underdog in his last matchup beating Jake Hadley. I think he has a bright future ahead of him as he continues to develop and grow into his frame. Smotherman only made his professional debut back in 2021. Sure Smotherman appears to be a bit undersized but he fights aggressively with high output. He will likely have an advantage here against Sidey in terms of his cardio and pace. Sidey also seems like a composed fighter with minimal holes in his game. He is going to land the bigger and harder shots in this fight but Smotherman does well getting inside of his opponent’s reach and finding a place for his own offense. Sidey connects with just 39 percent accuracy, occasionally extending his combinations for too long. Smotherman could be susceptible to the knockout here early but I figure the longer that this bout goes the more it will sway into Smotherman’s favor. He is the superior grappler and can rely on that part of his game as needed. It is a very tough matchup to predict and for that reason I will side with the betting underdog. Cameron Smotherman by Decision
• Nick: We have a relatively low level match-up here between two prospects that are far from developed. Serhiy Sidey is 11-2 professionally and 1-1 in the UFC, coming off a hard fought decision win over a respectable opponent in Garrett Armfield. Sidey is 28-years old and generally well-rounded, but we have yet to see him tested extensively against top level competition. He takes a lot of damage in exchanges, and while he’s decent everywhere it seems he doesn’t really have any singular standout skill. He fights moving forward and his chin is solid, but he takes as much damage as he dishes out. He has decent BJJ, but his wrestling and scrambling ability seem far from fully developed. Cam Smotherman is 12-4 professionally, primarily fighting for a respectable regional promotion via Fury FC. Smotherman’s last loss came on Dana White’s Contender Series, back in 2023, where he was KO’d by Charalompos Grigoriou. Smotherman is long for the division and a potent finisher both at striking range and on the mat, but defensively he leaves a lot to be desired. He’s coming off an impressive win in his UFC debut, which came on short notice against Jake Hadley. Smotherman did an excellent job utilizing his jab and using his reach advantage to pull ahead on the scorecards against the smaller Hadley in that match-up. This should be a competitive fight, but I expect Smotherman can once again work behind his jab as he utilizes his reach advantage. He’s the more technical striker, and while Sidey does seem dangerous his striking defense seems questionable at best. Cameron Smotherman by Decision

Montel Jackson -220 vs Daniel Marcos +180

• Anthony: This should be an exciting bantamweight tilt between Daniel Marcos and Montel Jackson. Despite entering this matchup still a perfect 17-0, Marcos is going to be a moderate betting underdog. He has fought well since joining the promotion, staying composed in his fights and winning thanks to his power and consistent striking. Marcos throws great kicks and does very well engaging his opponents at range. Jackson enters the bout on a five-fight win streak and coming off two of his best performances. In his last fight Jackson knocked out Da’Mon Blackshear in just eighteen seconds. He is known for his quick hands, throwing straight shots on target much faster than his opponents can react. The power is clearly evident for Jackson but I am not sure he will be the first able to stop Marcos. This is going to be a grueling war and we have not really seen him fight great late in his bouts. In both of Jackson’s pro losses, he was taken down at least seven times. Marcos is the better grappler but he does not tend to chase takedowns very often. Perhaps he will make adjustments to his gameplan today, but I am not expecting a wrestling heavy outing from him. These two are likely going to stand and strike which makes Jackson the rightful betting favorite. He is the more explosive athlete with a six-inch reach advantage. Montel Jackson by Decision
• Nick: Montel Jackson is good pretty much everywhere. He’s primarily a striker with surprising power for a bantamweight, now coming off five consecutive wins. As good as he’s looked lately, Jackson has been finding most of his success against lower level talent. He was once a highly regarded prospect, but it’s hard not to feel he’s developing much slower than expected. At 33-years old he still has time to make a run towards the top of the division, but he has very little room for error. Daniel Marcos is 17-0 professionally, and he does a good job throwing lengthy combinations. He’s a decent grappler, but on the mat he’s most content to try to work his way back to his feet (rather than try to advance position.) Eight of his professional wins have come via KO, and while he’s getting a relatively late start to his UFC career as he is 32-years old, it seems he’s still making major improvements from fight to fight. This should be a competitive fight from start to finish. Marcos is dangerous, but he doesn’t really carry the type of power striking or grappling to slow down Jackson’s pressure. The line feels wide, but I’m on the Jackson side. I expect he’ll cause more damage over the course of three rounds. Montel Jackson by Decision

Santiago Ponzinibbio -140 vs Daniel Rodriguez -115

• Anthony: The featured bout is a matchup at welterweight between Santiago Ponzinibbio and Daniel Rodriguez. This should be a fun matchup between two strikers with excellent boxing skills. Both are coming off of wins in their last performance, Rodriguez beat Alex Morono via decision but it was a very close fight. He generally will fair well in fights that are contested on the feet. Rodriguez is a skilled southpaw striker going up against an orthodox boxer here. Ponzinibbio is much more technically skilled with better overall hand speed. He is not as high volume as Rodriguez, but his shots tend to land with more power and efficiency. At this age I find it hard to bet on either one of these two but I will have action on this fight at near even odds. Ponzinibbio’s striking output does concern me but I think he is the much better fighter than Rodriguez. Coming into this fight D-Rod again appears out of shape and unmotivated. Rodriguez has had more success than Ponzinibbio in the UFC but he has not been facing high-level opponents. This seems like a fair piece of matchmaking and I am expecting Ponzinibbio to get his hand raised. Santiago Ponzinibbio by Decision
• Nick: Santiago Ponzinibbio was the class of this division before he was forced to miss more than two years with an extensive list of injuries. He is coming off an impressive KO win over Carlson Harris back in January, but there is certainly no denying the fact he’s far past his prime. At his best, Ponzinibbio is a talented striker who mixes kicks well into his combinations. He has solid cardio and durability, and he generally finds success when he can force his opponents to fight moving backwards. Daniel Rodriguez has very sharp boxing, which isn’t surprising as he is currently coached by Joe Schilling. He hasn’t really used his grappling much at the UFC level, but he holds a Brown Belt in BJJ via 10th Planet. He’s certainly a well-rounded fighter on paper, but he’s just 1-3 in his last four fights. These are two fighters who each seem past their respective primes, but Rodriguez feels a bit farther than Ponzinibbio does. Rodriguez will likely look good early here, but I don’t expect he’ll be able to overcome Ponzinibbio’s advantages in either power or cardio. Additionally, Ponzinibbio should have the slight grappling advantage here if he needs to lean on that part of his game. Another volatile matchup, but I’m siding with the favorite. Santiago Ponzinibbio by Round Two KO

Bo Nickal -350 vs Reinier de Ridder +270

• Anthony: The co-main event is a middleweight fight between Bo Nickal and Reinier de Ridder. Nickal’s last fight was a win against Paul Craig at UFC 309. The hyped prospect is now 7-0 as a pro and continuing his steady ascent now facing better competition. De Ridder appears to be a tougher matchup for Nickal stylistically. While Nickal is supremely confident in his wrestling, we have yet to see his dominant grappling put on display in mixed martial arts. De Ridder is a blackbelt in judo and Brazilian jiu jitsu. He has found success throughout his career thanks to his own skillset on the mat. I have really struggled to get a read on De Ridder but the bottom line is, he is very good. His only professional losses have come at heavyweight when facing Anatoly Malykhin. Oftentimes De Ridder does not have clean performances but he is able to find a way to get the win. I would consider him a live underdog against the old version of Nickal, but one has to expect the star is continuing to train hard and add techniques to his repertoire. Nickal’s striking has been getting much better and he is training with a great group at American Top Team. While it would not surprise me if he gave Nickal a hard fight, I do not think De Ridder has a good shot at finishing this bout. He will not win by submission against Bo Nickal and I am doubtful he can do enough to get the judge’s nod. Nickal can definitely find a finish here by knockout or even via submission. He is the much stronger and more explosive athlete of these two. Bo Nickal by Round Two Submission
• Nick: Bo Nickal is widely considered one of the best prospects in the sport of MMA. He is only 7-0 professionally, but all but one of those wins have come via finish. What Nickal lacks in professional MMA experience, he more than makes up for in wrestling credentials. Nickal was awarded the 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding collegiate wrestler for that year. He was a finalist in the 2020 Olympic Team trials, and a three-time NCAA Division I National Champion. Nickal trains at American Top Team where he’s been working on his striking extensively with the likes of Mike Brown and Jorge Masvidal. He’s shown to have true one-shot power, he’s an explosive athlete and he’s expected to climb the rankings at 185 rather quickly. Reiner de Ridder is primarily a grappler, and his offensive BJJ is extremely high level even by UFC standards. Fourteen of his eighteen professional wins have come via submission. His striking has come a long way over the past few years, but he mostly uses it as a means to drag his opponents to the mat. He’s 2-0 in the UFC, with impressive submission wins over Kevin Holland and Gerald Meerschaert. Prior to that he was a former ONE Light Heavyweight and ONE Heavyweight Champion. Stylistically these are two similar fighters, but Nickal is the younger and more explosive athlete in this match-up. I expect he’ll find success at striking range here, and as good as de Ridder’s BJJ is, Nickal’s advanced wrestling ability should allow him to dominate position if this fight hits the mat. Bo Nickal by Round Two KO

Cory Sandhagen -550 vs Deiveson Figueiredo +400

• Anthony: The main event is a bantamweight fight between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo. The former flyweight champion Figueiredo has now been a large underdog in his previous two fights. The move up to bantamweight likely helped to extend Figueiredo’s career, but he is not the same explosive power threat while competing at this weight class. Figueiredo was a scary knockout threat for the duration of his time spent at 125 pounds. If he continues to follow that same game plan here today, his chances will be very slim against Sandhagen. While Sandhagen is an extremely talented offensive striker he is also very elusive on defense and great at staying out of harm’s way. He should be able to keep Figueiredo at the end of his punches and do great work meeting him here in the larger cage. Sandhagen is effective fighting out of both stances and he will constantly be switching his entries in order to confuse Figueiredo. Sanhagen is known for his highly technical striking, but he has also begun to implement his wrestling more as he needs to in fights. Both appearances in 2023 saw Sandhagen score multiple takedowns and score great control time in five round main events. His last appearance was a hard fought matchup against Umar Nurmagomedov who is one of the division’s very best. Sandhagen should be able to fight Figueiredo at the pace and distance that he chooses. It will be difficult for Figueiredo to get in close against Sandhagen and land a consistent offense of his own. As the large betting favorite, Sandhagen will get his hand raised here and likely dominate in the later rounds. Cory Sandhagen by Decision
• Nick: We have an excellent bantamweight matchup here between two of the division’s top contenders. When he’s at his best, Deiveson Figueiredo is aggressive to the point that his opponents struggle to get into a rhythm against him. He pushes a ridiculous pace and does a good job circling away from danger in striking exchanges. He’s a competent grappler with dangerous BJJ, but he’s certainly most content to stand and trade on the feet. Figueiredo is coming off three straight wins at bantamweight as a former UFC Flyweight Champion. He seems extremely comfortable in his new weight class, and he carries a lot of momentum into this match-up. Cory Sandhagen has outstanding cardio, which comes as no surprise as he trains in the thin Colorado air at Elevation Fight Team. Sandhagen generally does a good job keeping distance and using his length to pepper his opponents while staying out of danger. He’s coming off impressive wins over Rob Font, Song Yadong, and Marlon Vera. However, he mostly recently suffered a loss where he was outclassed by Umar Nurmagomedov over the course of three rounds. Sandhagen is an extremely diverse striker that uses not only his hands well, but also his elbows, knees, and feet. Sandhagen’s constant stance switching, endless movement on the feet, and ability to land from varying angles should allow him to make things difficult for Figueiredo here. This fight will be competitive early, but I expect Sandhagen’s superior movement, cardio, and footwork to wear on Figueiredo’s cardio at a much quicker rate than he’s used to. With this being a five round fight, I’m fairly confident backing the favorite. I expect he’ll pull away convincingly here as this fight wears on. Cory Sandhagen by Round Five KO

-Nick Marro

Twitter: @NickMarroDFS

-Anthony Marro

Twitter: @AnthonyMarro_

Photo: UFC.com