UFC Des Moines: Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo: Live round-by-round updates
Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo are gearing up to headline UFC Des Moines in a clash that could reshape the bantamweight title hunt.
Sandhagen returns to action after a decision loss to Umar Nurmagomedov. He rattled off three straight wins before the loss to the Dagestani with dominant showings over Rob Font, Marlon Vera, and Song Yadong.
The 33-year-old stands tall at 5'11" with a reach advantage and a professional MMA record of 17-5. He's known for his volume striking, winning 41% of his fights by knockout and 41% by decision, while never being knocked out.
Figueiredo made the move to bantamweight in 2023 and has looked sharp since. The former two-time flyweight champ is 3-1 in the bantamweight division, beating Font, Garbrandt, and Vera before dropping a hard-fought decision to Petr Yan. With 18 finishes across 24 wins, he’s still dangerous anywhere the fight goes.
This matchup pits Sandhagen’s length, pace, and tactical acumen against Figueiredo’s pressure, power, and ground threats. Both are desperate to stay in the mix with title implications up for grabs.
The prelims of UFC Des Moines go down at 4:00 PM PT/ 7:00 PM ET, followed by the main card at 7:00 PM PT/ 10 PM ET. Fans can catch the coverage of the event on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for the live coverage and play-by-play updates of the Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo clash:
Round 1
Sandhagen opens with an inside leg kick. Strong return with the calf kick by Figueiredo. Sandhagen initiates the clinch, and Figueiredo lands an uppercut on the exit. Nice uppercut from Sandhagen, but Figueiredo enters with a double leg and ends up on the back of Sandhagen. The American reverses position, and Figueiredo is fighting off the back now. A leg lock attempt from Figueiredo and Sandhagen defended it successfully. Strong elbows from Sandhagen and Figueiredo feels the sting of it. Sandhagen is raining down solid strikes from the top position.
Our Score: 10-9 Sandhagen
Round 2
Figueiredo attacks the legs, but Sandhagen is making it difficult for the Brazilian to find his range. A lot of lateral movements from Sandhagen. Figueiredo fires with a right hand, but Sandhagen smothers the punch. Nice entry from Figueiredo to take Sandhagen down, and the American fighter ends up on top. Sandhagen shoots for a takedown and executes it brilliantly. He's scoring with ground-and-pound, and it's visibly taking a toll on Figueiredo. Beautiful scramble, and Figueiredo taps out with an injury seemingly to his left knee. Brilliant performance from Sandhagen that screams title shot.
Official Result
Cory Sandhagen defeats Deiveson Figueiredo by tapout at the 4:08 mark of the second round.