Cory Sandhagen bizarrely stopped Deiveson Figueiredo on the ground on Saturday night in the main event of UFC Des Moines.
The top bantamweights both entered the cage knowing that a loss would effectively end their careers as legitimate contenders in the division. And with champion Merab Dvalishvili watching on intently from home, the pair went to war in Iowa.
Two-time flyweight champion Figueiredo faced a stumbling block on his journey in the 135lb divisions when Petr Yan defeated him last year. Meanwhile Sandhagen has always been the bridesmaid at the weight, often losing right when he was on the verge of getting the belt.
Cory Sandhagen vs Deiveson Figueiredo UFC Des Moines result
Heading into the main event, fans were expecting an exciting battle of two renowned strikers willing to trade leather. What they got in the first was a bizarre effort from Deiveson Figueiredo to push a leg lock, which allowed Cory Sandhagen to land ground and pound throughout.
The second started much the same way as both men went looking for a submission with the legs, as Sandhagen looked to reverse the Brazilian’s efforts. And the American managed to cause a knee injury which allowed him to land a TKO finish with strikes from the top.
A bizarre finish saw Sandhagen move closer to a shot at the belt, although the commentary desk’s calls for a title fight next are perhaps slightly premature. His victory marked a notable moment and a necessary one after his defeat to Umar Nurmagomedov last summer.
It appears that the official method of stoppage was a submission due to the knee injury, as opposed to a TKO from the strikes after the fact.
UFC Des Moines was an exciting night of knockouts
While it wasn’t all stoppages in Iowa, there were a number of big finishes throughout the night to excite fans. The biggest shock came in the co-main event where Bo Nickal was knocked out by Reinier De Ridder for his first MMA defeat.
Renowned wrestling star Nickal had been dominant since coming into the sport and quickly earning a UFC spot. But he was kneed into another dimension by former ONE Championship double champ De Ridder to taste defeat for the first time.
It followed an explosive knockout from fan favorite Daniel Rodriguez, who stunned Santiago Ponzinibbio in another main card bout. That came after a slate of decisions, most notably Mason Jones overcoming the plucky returning Jeremy Stephens.