Making its long-awaited return to one of the original destinations in the company’s history, UFC Des Moines is set to bring the heat to Iowa. In its first time hosting an event in the Hawkeye state since UFC 26, this weekend’s Fight Night is a banger, headlined by a clash between top-ranked bantamweights Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo.
The only way the action of UFC Des Moines could get any better, is by getting some skin in on the fights with our comprehensive Fight Night betting preview.
Cory Sandhagen Moneyline
-550
Below, we’ve featured the best UFC Des Moines odds so you can maximize your winning potential on all your bets placed. Additionally, we’ve also supplied our top moneymaking picks and predictions so you can score a knockout over the oddsmakers this evening.
Don’t wait, strap on the gloves, come out swinging, and see if you’ve got what it takes to cash-in on the upcoming thrills at UFC Des Moines.
Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones
Best Odds on Stephens to Win: Pinnacle (+426)
Best Odds on Jones to Win: bet365 (-550)
Kicking off the main card with a clash between two fighters looking to make a statement in their second UFC stints, Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens takes on Mason “The Dragon” Jones.
After revitalizing his combat sports career as one of the premier bare-knuckle boxers on the planet, Stephens has earned his way back to the UFC where he hopes to recapture some of the momentum that once had him placed among the elites of the lightweight division.
While Stephens has proven that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank when it comes to his fighting career, look for him to suffer yet another bump in the road as he takes the loss to Jones.
Also making his return to the UFC after an unsuccessful first run in the organization that saw him go 1-2-1, Jones has since strung together four straight wins at Cage Warriors, three of which coming by knockout. Coming into the prime of his career, Jones is primed to utilize his superior athleticism and size to best the Octagon veteran Stephens in the main card opener.
While both fighters have proven knockout power, look for them both to respect the others’ abilities, instead opting for a clean, back-and-forth bout. Expect to see the three-inch reach advantage of Jones to come into play throughout the bout as he cruises to the win on the judges’ scorecards, notching the victory in his UFC return.
Prediction: Jones to Win by Decision (+170 @ NorthStar Bets)
Cameron Smotherman vs. Serhiy Sidey
Best Odds on Smotherman to Win: NorthStar Bets (+112)
Best Odds on Sidey to Win: Sports Interaction (-135)
Next up on the main card is a competitive matchup between Dana White’s Contender Series alumni, as Cameron “The Baby-Faced Killer” Smotherman takes on Canadian Serhiy Sidey.
Holding a distinct size advantage in this matchup, back the Canadian fighter Sidey to get the job done on the judges’ scorecards.
Having put together an exciting, yet brief, UFC tenure, Sidey is hot off the heels of a thrilling split decision victory against a tough opponent in Garrett Armfield. Having shown top-tier skills at all areas of the fight game, Sidey has all the tools needed to rack up wins inside the Octagon.
While Smotherman is also coming off of a win in his own right, he simply isn’t as dangerous as his opponent. Having been finished by knockout twice in his pro-MMA career, this shows he is susceptible to taking big shots and absorbing damage, a stark contrast to Sidey who has never been finished in 13 pro fights.
Primed to begin his latest win streak, look for Sidey to go the distance for the third straight time, getting his hand raised and notching you an easy +190 payday.
Prediction: Sidey to Win by Decision (+190 @ BET99)
Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos
Best Odds on Jackson to Win: Pinnacle (-190)
Best Odds on Marcos to Win: bet365 (+170)
In a potential Fight of the Night contender, you won’t want to miss the upcoming clash between Montel “Quik” Jackson and Daniel “Soncora” Marcos. While Marcos has remained perfect throughout his MMA career, look for him to taste defeat for the first time as Jackson shuts him down, picking up the win by knockout.
Having racked up back-to-back first-round knockouts, Jackson has continued to evolve and improve every time he steps into the Octagon. While Marcos has looked equally as impressive in his UFC tenure, he has escaped with split decision wins in two of his four UFC wins.
With his skillset having been tested, and his weaknesses put on full display, expect to see Jackson blast Marcos with vicious shots early in the fight, sending the Peruvian fighter crashing to the canvas, and notching his third straight knockout win as he hands Marcos his first career loss.
Prediction: Jackson to Win by KO/TKO/DQ (+360 @ NorthStar Bets)
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Best Odds on Ponzinibbio to Win: Pinnacle (-108)
Best Odds on Rodriguez to Win: bet365 (+100)
Pitting two savvy veterans of the sport up against one another, only one fighter can remain in the win column as Santiago “Aregntine Dagger” Ponzinibbio takes on Daniel “D-Rod” Rodriguez.
With both fighters seemingly in the twilight of their careers, a loss here could spell the end of their UFC tenures. As the stakes could potentially be at their highest, we strongly advise backing Ponzinibbio to take the win by decision against Rodriguez.
Having participated in 15 more professional fights, as well as against tougher competition, Ponzinibbio is not just battle-tested, but is a proven top-tier combatant. While Rodriguez had a solid four-fight win streak from 2021-22, much of those wins came against past-their-prime fighters, as well as a highly-disputed split decision against Jingliang Li.
The far superior fighter on the feet, as well as the better grappler, look for Ponzinibbio to continue his final surge of his UFC career, earning the decision win against Rodriguez in Des Moines.
Prediction: Ponzinibbio to Win by Decision (+215 @ NorthStar Bets)
Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal
Best Odds on de Ridder to Win: Pinnacle (+271)
Best Odds on Nickal to Win: Sports Interaction (-325)
A thrilling co-main event that could have major ramifications throughout the UFC middleweight rankings, Reinier “RDR” de Ridder and Bo Nickal will do battle in a can’t-miss clash.
Both fighters sport undefeated records in the UFC, with no shortage of hype behind them ever since joining the organization. With de Ridder having established himself as a premier mixed martial artist in ONE as a former double-champion, look for him to pull off the shocking upset victory over the collegiate wrestling great, Nickal.
In an intriguing duel pitting jiu-jitsu against wrestling, look for the versatile skillset of de Ridder to provide him with a winning edge over Nickal. While Nickal has put forth impressive showings in his brief MMA career, the former Nittany Lion hasn’t fully lived up the hype he entered with.
After putting up a boring snoozefest of a clash against Paul Craig his last time out, Nickal has failed to show the expected development the MMA world had hoped to see at this point of his career. Meanwhile, in just two months, de Ridder has put his name firmly on the map in the UFC middleweight division, notching back-to-back first-round submission wins over tough competition in Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland.
With this in mind, look for the more experienced, bigger, and versatile de Ridder to negate the dangerous offerings of Nickal, instead baiting him into a grappling exchange where he can lock in a fight-ending submission. At +790, de Ridder by submission is a bonafide bankroll booster that you won’t want to miss out on.
Prediction: de Ridder to Win by Submission (+790 @ BET99)
Reinier de Ridder Moneyline
+260
Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Best Odds on Sandhagen to Win: NorthStar Bets (-480)
Best Odds on Figueiredo to Win: Pinnacle (+406)
Capping of the evening with a highly-anticipated clash between two of the most exciting combatants on the UFC roster, Cory “Sandman” Sandhagen takes on Deiveson “God of War” Figueiredo.
While Figueiredo has been impressive since jumping up in weight to the bantamweight division, look for him to suffer back-to-back losses for the first time ever in his career as Sandhagen continues to rally and make a push for the elusive undisputed gold.
Both fighters in this matchup are as well-rounded as they come, but both of them truly excel in standup exchanges. With highlight-reel finishes galore on both of their resumes, look for this matchup to largely be determined by who’s able to get the better of their opponent on the feet.
Widely viewed as the faster, more creative striker, Sandhagen also holds a distinct six-inch advantage in height, as well as two inches in reach. With his ability to keep Figueiredo at bay while landing solid shots of his own, look for Sandhagen to slowly pick away at the former lightweight champion as he gets back into the win column by the conclusion of this main event bout.
With both Sandhagen having gone the distance in three straight fights, three of his last four for Figueiredo, expect these two experienced five-round fighters to mitigate their gas tanks accordingly, taking this matchup to the judges, with Sandhagen picking up the victory.
Prediction: Sandhagen to Win by Decision (-141 @ NorthStar Bets)
UFC Des Moines Prelim Picks
Not only are there awesome matchups scheduled on the main card of this weekend’s Fight Night card, but the prelims of UFC Des Moines are jam-packed with must-see tilts. Featuring prominent names of the sport, such as Meisha Tate, Azamat Bekoev, and Canadian Gillian Robertson, score yourself a big win before the main card even begins with our UFC Des Moines prelim picks below.
- Petrovich to Win by KO/TKO/DQ (+650)
- Mayes to Win by Decision (+550)
- Le to Win by Submission (+800)
- Robertson to Win by Decision (+100)
- Bekoev to Win by KO/TKO/DQ (+210)
- Tate to Win by Submission (+500)