UFC Des Moines Preview And Predictions

UFC Des Moines Preview And Predictions

The UFC’s midwest roadtrip continues with a stop in Des Moines, Iowa. The promotion is dropping the octagon in wrestling country with a solid fight night event. The main event features a great bantamweight main event between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo. In the co-main event, one of the biggest NCAA Wrestling stars in recent memory, Bo Nickal, will take on Reiner de Ridder. Plus, the card opens the return of Des Moines native Jeremy Stephens. It a solid slate of fights that should have fans excited.

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC Des Moines main card. You can find our prediction records below.

James: 39-35-1

Anthony: 44-30-1

Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones- Lightweight Bout 

James: The UFC Des Moines main card opens with a lightweight banger between Jeremy Stephens and Mason Jones. Stephens is returning to the UFC octagon for the first time since 2021. In his UFC career, he went 15-18, but he left the octagon on a five-fight losing streak. A three-fight winning streak in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has helped the Des Moines native get the call to fight in his hometown. Jones, 30, is also making his return to the UFC octagon. Previously, he went 1-2 in the UFC. Despite having an offer to stay in the promotion, he elected to fight in Cage Warrior as he prepared himself for a UFC run. That paid off as he went 4-0 outside of the UFC. 

Stephens is well past his prime. Especially when it comes to MMA, regardless, he is still a dangerous fighter with a lot of power in his hands. In interior boxing exchanges, he hits hard, is durable, and is willing to trade in the fire. 

Jones has been willing to engage in brawls throughout his career. That has led to a mix nag of success because he has serious offensive striking skills, but he also has concerning defense. Thankfully for him, he has rounded out his game with offensive wrestling. This has added a layer to his game and made him a much better fighter. 

The UFC Des Moines main card opener previews as a favorable fight for Jones. At the end of the day, this is a 30-year-old working to improve his MMA game against a 38-year-old who has been competing in BKFC. In his original UFC run, Stephens had suspect defensive grappling. It is hard to imagine he has improved in that realm while fighting in a sport without grappling. If this is purely a striking matchup. It will be close. It is hard to imagine that Jones does not wrestle offensively, however. I will take Jones by second-round submission. 

Anthony: Jones via decision

Cameron Smotherman vs. Serhiy Sidey- Bantamweight Bout 

James: The UFC Des Moines main card features a bantamweight bout between Cameron Smotherman and Serhiy Sidey. This bout pits two intriguing prospects against one another. Smotherman, 27, is 1-0 in the UFC. His sole UFC bout was an impressive short-notice outing against Jake Hadley. Sidey, 28, is 1-1 in the UFC. The winner of this bout will put themselves in a position to be recognized as a prospect to watch.

Smotherman is a quality striker who finds success with pressure and boxing. The goal for Smotherman is to move forward while letting his hands fly. This is done with combinations that attack the head and body. His jab is strong, but his best weapons are his hooks. These shots hit both levels and land with power. 

Sidey is a long striker who uses his length to find success. At five-foot-11, he has a 72-inch reach. This gives him a dangerous jab and straight. If he can land his right hand cleanly, it can help swing the momentum of a fight in his favor. At range, he also has a wide array of kicks that can help him manage distance and deal damage. On the inside, he relies on knees and kicks to deal damage. In the grappling realm, his best trait is his ability to threaten front chokes. 

This UFC Des Moines bout previews to be a solid matchup. It should be competitive and create a fan-friendly scrap. Smotherman should be able to pressure Sidey and land cleanly in the pocket; however, Sidey can land elbows and knees in those exchanges. Plus, he can unload with kicks and straight punches when Smotherman stops pressuring. The deciding factor in the outcome of this fight is Smotherman’s bodywork. His willingness to attack the head and body should help him create openings and accrue damage. I will take Smotherman by round two knockout. 

Anthony: Smotherman via KO/TKO

UFC Des Moines Best Bets

No. 15 Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos- Bantamweight Bout 

James: The UFC Des Moines main card showcases a bantamweight bout between Montel Jackson and Daniel Marcos. The matchup pits two of the least discussed bantamweight prospects against one another. Jackson, 33, holds an 8-2 UFC record and is riding a five-fight win streak. Marcos has a perfect 17-0 record with a 4-0 UFC record.  

Jackson is an athletic fighter who lands with power. In distance striking exchanges, he uses his length to land straight punches. This can be seen in his ability to establish his jab. If he can land his right hand behind his jab, he can put his opponent’s lights out. This approach is done with great range management while helping him control the pace of the fight. 

Marcos is a quality striker with skills at different ranges. On the interior, he can land hooks while also having knees. At a distance, he is a quality kicker and has straight punches. It is a well-rounded arsenal with a varied striking approach. 

This UFC Des Moines bout previews as an important matchup for both fighters. The striking exchanges should be close and competitive. Ultimately, the fight favors Jackson for a handful of reasons. He is the longer fighter and is great at managing range. This should allow him to dictate the pace of the fight. Plus, his power allows him to deal serious damage while fighting at a slower pace. I will take Jackson by round-two knockout. 

Anthony: Jackson via decision

Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez- Welterweight Bout 

James: At UFC Des Moines, Santiago Ponzinibbio will fight Daniel Rodriguez. The matchup pits two 38-year-old veterans against one another. Ponzinibbio is 12-7 in the UFC. That includes a 3-5 record since returning from injury in 2021. Meanwhile, Rodriguez is 8-4 in the UFC with a 1-3 run across his last four fights. 

Ponzinibbio wins fights with his boxing skills. The goal of his gameplan is to land his right hand. This is often accomplished with a heavy dose of jabs to the body and head. Eventually, he lands enough of those shots and it opens a window to land a power shot. At the current stage of his career, he has had more struggles in striking exchanges because he has seen a serious dip in speed and durability. 

Rodriguez is a strong boxer. At his best, he lands his jab while throwing shots behind it and mixing in kicks. In most fights, this is done at a solid pace. 

This UFC Des Moines matchup is the most difficult fight to preview. Both fighters are well past their prime and have struggled in recent outings. That said, I’ll side with Ponzinibbio. In recent fights, he has looked slightly better than Rodriguez. Plus, he should have more power. I will take Ponzinibbio by round-three knockout. 

Anthony: Ponzinibbio via decision

UFC 314: Five Things We Learned

No. 13 Reiner de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal- Middleweight Bout

James: The UFC Des Moines main event features a middleweight bout between Reiner de Ridder and Bo Nickal. This matchup puts two rising middleweights against one another with the hopes of building a potential future title challenger. de Ridder is a former two-division champion in ONE Championship. In the UFC, the 34-year-old has landed two submission victories. Nickal is a three-time NCAA Division 1 Wrestling National Champion. The legendary wrestler has made the transition to MMA. In his limited experience, he is 7-0 with a 4-0 UFC record. 

de Ridder has a solid grappling game that is well-adjusted for MMA. His elite grappling discipline is his BJJ; however, he has strong enough takedowns to get the fight to the ground. This allows him to work his submission from the top position. This game plan works because he is massive for the weight class. In the striking realm, he has serious defensive flaws, but he is aggressive and attempts to throw back. 

Nickal is a sensational wrestler who is working to adjust his game for MMA. This can be seen when he gets the fight to the ground. He has great top control and has added a few solid submissions to his arsenal. That said, he has yet to reach his highest potential when it comes to takedowns. At this portion of his career, his open mat takedowns are strong, but he needs to improve his cage wrestling. As a striker, he is also raw. In every fight, he shows offensive boxing improvements. If he lands, he does connect with power. 

The UFC Des Moines co-main event previews as an interesting matchup. The grappling exchanges between these two fighters will be interesting to watch. It is hard to imagine either fighter being dominantly grappled. This is one of the few matchups where that could come to fruition Ultimately, I expect the grappling to cancel out. If it becomes a striking bout, Nickal should be better equipt. That is largely because he is calmer and attempts to be technical. I will take Nickal by decision. 

Anthony: Nickal via decision

No. 4 Cory Sandhagen vs. No. 5 Deiveson Figueiredo- Bantamweight Main Event 

James: The UFC Des Moines main event features a bantamweight bout between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo. This is a compelling matchup between two fighters looking to bounce back from a loss. Sandhagen and Figueiredo are both coming off losses in high-profile main events. Both figures are still 3-1 in their last four fights and deserve to remain among the bantamweight upper echelon. The stakes will be high as both fighters look to keep their top-five rank while avoiding a second consecutive loss. 

Sandhagen is one of the best strikers in the bantamweight division. His overall striking skill set is centered around his length. At five-foot-11, he holds a 70-inch reach. In addition to his size, he has a massive toolbox of offensive weapons. Sandhagen throws straight shots, kicks to all three levels, knees, elbows, and spinning attacks. He can find success with all of these weapons because he has the intelligence to set up strikes. In the grappling realm, he has shown consistent improvement throughout his UFC tenure. At this point, he can be trusted as a solid defensive grappler. 

Figueiredo is a dangerous fighter with finishing skills wherever the fight goes. In striking exchanges, he is a pressure fighter with a ton of power. In the grappling realm, he has elite submission skills. This begins with strong submissions from the top position. Although, he also has slick front chokes that are dangerous. 

The UFC Des Moines main event favors Sandhagen. This is largely because of his length and footwork. It should be hard for Figueiredo to track down Sandhagen and get his offense working. Instead, Sandhagen can skirt around the outside while landing shots. Eventually, Figueiredo should slow down and Sandhagen should be able to land a finish. I will take Sandhagen by fourth-round knockout. 

Anthony: Sandhagen vis decision

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