Report: Main Event Booked For UFC Des Moines

In the wake of the avalanche of major fight announcements that came from UFC president Dana White earlier this week, one more fascinating matchup between 2 top contenders in the bantamweight division has been thrown into the mix.

Cory Sandhagen (17-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Deiveson Figuieredo (24-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) are set to square off in the main event when the UFC pitches up in Des Moines, Iowa on May 3rd in a fight that could have title implications later in the year.

Sandhagen returns for the first time since losing to Umar Nurmagomedov last August, a result that catapulted the Dagestani into a (ultimately unsuccessful) title shot against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311 in January. Prior to that bout, "Sandman" had been generating some impressive momentum at 135 lbs as he racked up victories against the likes of Song Yadong, Marlon Vera and Rob Font.

Former 125 lb champion Figuieredo made the move up to the bantamweight division in 2023 and an exceptional run of performances quickly saw him break into the upper echelon of the rankings. 3 successive wins over Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt and Marlon Vera earned him a high-profile bout against former champion Petr Yan at UFC Macao in November.

Yan looked to be back to his imperious best on that occasion and outpointed the Brazilian over 25 minutes, but Figuieredo still showed enough to prove he can hang with the best that the bantamweight division has to offer.

With Petr Yan the most likely contender to face bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili next, there's a strong likelihood that a convincing victory for either Sandhagen or Figueiredo in Des Moines could position the winner for a title shot later in the year.

5 other fights have been confirmed for the card, including a bout between 2 ranked strawweight contenders as Marina Rodriguez (17-5-2 MMA, 7-5-2 UFC) takes on Gillian Robertson (15-8 MMA, 12-6 UFC) who ha won 5 of her last 6 fights at 115 lbs.

Santiago Ponzinibbio (30-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC) will face Daniel Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in the welterweight division, while former women's bantamweight champion Miesha Tate (20-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) will square off against Russian star Yana Santos (15-8 MMA, 5-5 UFC).