UFC Fight Night made its debut in Des Moines, Iowa, on May 3 with a dramatic main event as Cory Sandhagen defeated Deiveson Figueiredo by TKO in the second round. The bantamweight clash at Wells Fargo Arena was pivotal, with both fighters looking to stay in title contention
Sandhagen, ranked No. 4, wasted no time imposing his will. After an early scramble, he reversed a takedown and unleashed relentless ground-and-pound in the first round. Figueiredo, a former two-time flyweight champion now ranked No. 5 at bantamweight, attempted a leg lock but couldn’t secure it
The second round saw more grappling exchanges, but the tide turned when Figueiredo appeared to injure his knee during a scramble. Sandhagen capitalized, raining down strikes from top position until Figueiredo tapped, forcing the referee to stop the fight at 4:08 of Round 2 The win puts Sandhagen back in the title conversation, while Figueiredo’s future at 135 pounds is now uncertain.
The co-main event also delivered surprises as Reinier de Ridder handed Bo Nickal his first professional loss with a TKO in the second round For fans who missed the action, replays are available on ESPN+.
With this victory, Sandhagen takes a big step toward a bantamweight title shot-leaving fans and contenders alike wondering what’s next in the division.
