Cory Sandhagen

With Merab Dvalishvili rematching Sean O’Malley next month and having already beaten names like Petr Yan and Umar Nurmagomedov, the path to a title shot finally seemed clear for Cory Sandhagen. A statement win in the main event was probably going to be enough as he represents a fresh match up for both Dvalishvili and O’Malley. And a statement win is what the Sandman delivered. Yes, the finish may have looked anti-climactic, but Figueiredo’s knee injury came as a direct result of a grappling exchange that Sandhagen was purposefully engaging in. Additionally, Sandhagen was thoroughly dominating Figueiredo, out landing him 92 to 8 in total strikes and going two-for-two on takedowns.

Time will tell if this version of Sandhagen will be able to capture a title against the likes of Dvalishvili or O’Malley, but one thing is sure, he shouldn’t have to fight again before facing either one of them.

Sandhagen’s next fight: Dvalishvili/O’Malley 2 winner

Reinier de Ridder

Reinier de Ridder knew Bo Nickal’s lack of experience at the highest level of MMA could cost him in a matchup like this one. The 34-year-old RDR, who has been there and done that in this sport, got right in Nickal’s face from the get-go. He did most of his work in the clinch, where he kept bullying Nickal with knees to the body until he ultimately folded in round 2.

This is by far the highest profile of de Ridder’s three UFC wins. When a known name loses, he doesn’t always transfer his star power to his opponent, but this time it appears it did. After the fight, there was a lot of talk about Nickal’s poor showing, but there was also just as much praise for RDR as fans felt he was disrespected by the betting odds. After his win, de Ridder called out Sean Strickland, a sound callout given the lay of the land at middleweight. Given his age and the momentum he has already accrued in the 6 months since he’s joined the promotion, it’s not unreasonable to aim for a top5 matchup. There is a trio of former champions that would all make sense for RDR in Strickland, Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. My personal favourite of these would be “The Last Stylebender”.

de Ridder’s next fight: Israel Adesanya

Daniel Rodriguez

After ending his three-fight skid in October against Alex Morono, D-Rod is now officially back on a winning streak after stopping Santiago Ponzinibbio in the third round at UFC Des Moines. The matchup with the Argentinian fighter was perfect given where both are at this stage of their careers. Now that he has put himself back in the mix, I could see the UFC try to use the juice left in Rodriguez to push a youngster like Bryan Battle, Gabriel Bonfim or Jacobe Smith. Personally, I would rather have him fight one more age-appropriate matchup before thinking of throwing him back in there with the young guns.

Gunnar Nelson appears to only show up sporadically for cards in the UK, but the UFC does go there fairly often. So next time Gunni shows up, why not do it against D-Rod?

Rodriguez’s next fight: Gunnar Nelson

Montel Jackson

Montel Jackson kept the trend of undefeated fighters having a rough time in 2025 going, earning 30-27s across the board against Daniel Marcos. Jackson had to earn his ranking the hard way, winning five straight to get the #15 spot. And he immediately had to defend it against an undefeated, unranked fighter in the Peruvian Marcos. Now winner of six in a row, I think Jackson deserves to fight up the rankings.

There is a fight between Marlon Vera and Mario Bautista going down in Newark a month from now (coincidentally, that was originally booked for Des Moines). The loser of that fight will be ranked at the edge of the top10, exactly the range Jackson should be looking at.

Jackson’s next fight: Vera/Bautista loser

Serhiy Sidey

After losing his promotional debut in Toronto, the Canadian Sidey has now won back-to-back contests. He followed his closely contested decision win against Garrett Armfield last November with a clearer win this time around against Cam Smotherman.

In UFC Vegas 105’s edition of What’s Next, I had the winner of this Sidey vs Smotherman bout penciled in to face Chang Ho Lee next. My mind hasn’t changed since then. It should be a fun fight.

Sidey’s next fight: Chang Ho Lee

Mason Jones

Mason Jones played spoiler to the returning hometown fan favourite Jeremy Stephens at UFC Des Moines, as he defeated him by unanimous decision. Stephens was returning to the UFC after stints in PFL, Gamebred Boxing and BKFC since leaving the UFC in 2021. However, let’s not forget Jones was also coming back to the promotion.

The Welsh fighter went 1-2 with 1 No Contest between 2021 and 2022, but this record is deceiving. His win was against David Onama, while his losses were to Mike Davis and Ludovit Klein. Tough assignments for someone who was 26 with only 10 professional fights to his name when he joined the party. After his release, Jones went 4-0 in Cage Warriors with three finishes to claw his way back to the UFC.

Now that he started his second stint on a positive note, let’s build him up a bit slower than the first time. I think someone like Charlie Campbell would be a proper opponent. Campbell is 29 with a 2-0 record in the promotion after coming through the Contender Series. Both are at similar stages of their careers where it would make sense for them to meet.

Jones’ next fight: Charlie Campbell

The post What’s Next: UFC Des Moines Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

Exciting matchups and next steps will be produced from this card in the coming weeks and months.

Deiveson Figueiredo

Cory Sandhagen TKO’d Deiveson Figueiredo after the Brazilian was rendered unable to continue via a knee injury triggered by his opponent. The loss puts Figueiredo on a two-fight skid, completely icing the momentum of his three-fight start since moving up to 135lbs. The 37-year-old came into this fight rounding out the top five of the division, potentially fighting in a title eliminator bout, now suffering a devastating injury and possibly a long layoff.

Hopefully Figueiredo makes full and speedy recovery. Looking ahead a good opponent for Deiveson is tough as the timeline for his return is currently unknown. But Figueiredo should return against the winner of Jose Aldo vs Aiemann Zahabi. That fight goes down on UFC 315 Saturday. It might sound crazy. But ideally, Deiveson fights Jose Aldo next as that would be the best matchup. Former flyweight champion versus former featherweight champion. Close in age as well. However, with the knee injury taken into account it may not be reasonable depending on the outcome of the fight at 315. Still, the 37-year-old Aldo could need extra time off depending on how violent the scrap gets though. Currently Aldo is ranked at #11 while Aiemann Zahabi is ranked at #14.

This matchup is a bit out there but depending on how long it takes Figgy to get back in action it may be the best matchup he can get in that moment at 135lbs. Winner would add to legacy status even more, while loser could still hold a low ranking.

Figueiredo’s next fight: Jose Aldo vs Aiemann Zahbai winner/loser

Bo Nickal

Reiner de Ridder melted Bo Nickal in the co-main event of UFC Des Moines, to hand the decorated NCAA wrestler his very first loss in MMA. Bo was smothered in the clinch, softened up with short strikes and a well-timed knee sealed the deal. The performance exposed some cracks in Nickal’s foundation suggesting he is still greener than many expected.

Nickal is a two-time Contender Series competitor that is now 4-1 in the UFC. Bo has just eight MMA fights under his belt, ten if you count his amateur career. Bo needs to slow down in terms of the level of opponents. But at the same time, pick up the frequency with which he competes (if possible).

The winner of Andre Petroski vs. Edmen Shahbazyan would be the perfect next step for Bo. As long as Nickal came out of this fight injury free, that is. Shahbazyan and Petroski are schedule to scrap on June 14, so the timing isn’t the best, but then again, Bo likes some time between fights. Edmen is known for his karate style while Petroski is a grappling heavy fighter. Edmen is 2-2 in his last four bouts. Petroski is 3-1 riding a 3-fight win streak.

Either fighter would be appropriate for Nickal at this stage after the results of his fight with RDR Saturday. Nickal has got to pump the brakes with his ascent and if he can get past Petroski/Shahbazyan winner and potentially get another fight in before the end of the calendar year, he’d be in great shape.

Nickal’s next fight:  Andre Petroski vs. Edmen Shahbazyan Winner

 Santiago Ponzinibbio

Daniel Rodriguez countered and brutally finished Santiago Ponzinibbio in the final round of the pair’s bout on Saturday. Ponzinibbio had flashes of the fighter of old during the fight (the one that ripped off a seven-fight win streak). But after the ‘Argentine Dagger’ was stunned early, he never truly recovered. It was all downhill from there, as they say.

Still think that the best fight to make would be for Ponzinibbio to fight Nicolas Dalby as was mentioned in last week’s edition of Losers, UFC Kansas City. Dalby took part in a back-and-forth brawl before he was sniped and put away by Randy Brown. Nicolas rode a nice win streak of his own in the UFC, ripping off four in a row before his current two-fight skid. Dalby faced Daniel Rodriguez in his third UFC fight winning a decision.  Frankly, Dalby is a tall task for Ponzinibbio at this stage in his career. The one they call “Danish Dynamite” has just that in his hands, and if his last fight outcome proves anything- he’s not afraid to chuck leather. But this is a matchup that if Ponzinibbio is able to get his offense going, is a very winnable fight.

The winner of this proves one would instantly prove they still belong within the division, while the loser could very well find themselves competing for a roster spot in their following appearance.

Ponzinibbio’s next fight: Nicolas Dalby

Daniel Marcos

Montel Jackson edged out Daniel Marcos in a well fought decision on the UFC Des Moines main card Saturday. It was the first loss of Daniel’s 19-fight pro MMA career. The 2022 Contender Series alum is now 4-1, 1 NC with the UFC. Jackson entered the fight ranked at #15 at bantamweight so big opportunity missed for Marcos. Though the 32-year-old didn’t lose too much stock with his performance (besides the 0).

Marcos should fight Said Nurmagomedov next. The two were supposed to fight back in December of last year but Nurmagomedov withdrew. Daniel is now 1-1 since that fight was canceled while Said is 0-1. Nurmagomedov, despite his inactivity, puts on amazing performances every time that he does make it to fight night. Said was last in action against Vinicius Oliveira in February. Even though Said lost a unanimous decision he earned fight of the night honors. It was just the first time Said had made it to the octagon in four scheduled fights.  This fight is guaranteed to have high pace and high action with the winner potentially drawing a fighter on the edge of the rankings (with an impressive finish).

Marcos’s next fight: Said Nurmagomedov

Cameron Smotherman

Serhiy Sidey‘s movement, length, and activity gave Camerson Smotherman all he could handle on the way to “the Baby-Faced Killer’s” first UFC defeat. Cameron pushed the action but couldn’t find the big shot and is now 1-1 with the promotion.  The 2023 Contender Series veteran turns 28 later this year and needs a good win to establish himself within the division.

A good matchup for Cameron’s next fight would be Quang Le. Quang fought on the undercard of UFC Des Moines and snagged a performance of the night bonus for his submission victory over Gaston Bolanos. Le was supposed to fight on the Contender Series last year but was signed to the promotion instead. The win Saturday was Le’s first with the promotion after dropping his first two to Chris Gutierrez and Long Xiao. Despite being 33 years old, Quang has just 11 pro fights (Cameron has 17). This fight would have a high probability of ending with a stoppage, definitely a fan friendly matchup. Also, the timing would matchup as the two fought on the same night. Winner of this matchup would finally gain some stability and be able to look towards fighting a name within the division.

Smotherman’s next fight: Quang Le

Jeremy Stephens

Jeremy Stephens turned in a strong performance on his way to a unanimous decision defeat against Mason Jones to open the UFC Des Moines main card.  Stephens had not graced the UFC octagon since 2021, going 4-4-1 through his nine-fight stint outside of the promotion (boxing, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, Professional Fighters League). The 38-year-old looked just as gritty as ever but just got out-fought, looking a little rusty at times in mixing the arts.

Bangers only for a veteran violence deliverer like Stephens. No way Stephens or fans want “the hardest hitting 155 pounder” to take much of a step back. A fight against the loser of Jared Gordon vs Thiago Moises would deliver an edge of your seat matchup for fans. Gordon vs. Moises are scheduled to fight on May 17 so the timing works out pretty well. Gordon is 8-6, 1 NC with the UFC and 2-3, 1 NC in his last six fights. Moises is 8-6 with the UFC and is 4-2 in his last six fights. Either one of these hard-nosed fighters would produce a slobber knocker with Stephens. Besides, Stephens could very well be in the UFC for a good time as opposed to a long one, so either matchup would produce some stellar highlights. Winner could look towards a name quite a ways from the rankings.

Stephens’s next fight: Jared Gordon vs. Thiago Moises Loser

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Jones vs. Stephens easily could have snagged Fight of the Night in Des Moines, had the UFC awarded one (instead, they handed out four Performance of the Night bonuses). Jones’ absence from the Performance bonus-list wasn’t for lack of effort either. He had his moments where Stephens was either hurt, or fending off submission attempts.

“That guy’s built with power, so it was just like, let’s not be stupid, let’s go back and make it clean. His jiu-jitsu wasn’t great, but it was like everything he did was quite solid, he was slippery, he was bleeding a little bit, and I just couldn’t get in position to finish him,” Jones (16-2, 1NC) told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. A kimura attempt came close, but Stephens fended that off through “good, old fashioned, smart intelligent play.”

Later, Jones admitted that he could probably have taken Stephens down early in the fight, and maybe even found a finish that way. The desire to knock the returning UFC veteran out overrode that. “I wanted to knock him out so badly, but he is who he is. He’s Jeremy Lil Heathen Stephens. When that name came across my desk, I said ‘listen, I’m going to give him a firefight.'”

Mason Jones, a former double champ in Cage Warriors at lightweight and welterweight, returned to the UFC’s 155lb division on Saturday off the strength of a four-fight win streak back in his old promotion. So where does a win over Stephens, a definitive one, leave him in terms of bargaining power?

“With this game, a lot of people don’t understand, one, this is television. This is film. No one wants to see someone hold someone down. This is all about exciting fights, I give exciting fights,” he stated. “I go out there, I want to go out there and beat people like Justin Gaethje beats people. I don’t want to go out there and take people down, hold them down.”

Jones knows he may have to do it eventually — even Khabib Nurmagomedov had a fight where he mostly held his opponent down, Jones noted — “but I want to go out there and give exciting fights, I want to go out there and decimate people, I want to destroy people on TV. But as for bargaining people, we earn it. We earn it as we go.”

After a rocky first four fights in the UFC that included just a single win, “today I proved that I’m experienced enough that I can get a win no matter what,” Jones later added. “I can go out there, I can give exciting fights, then I can make the win happen. I went out there with the whole mentality of, ‘I’m going to set fire to his career, burn what’s left of it, and mine’s going to grow from the ashes.'”

Watch Mason Jones’ full UFC Des Moines post-fight press conference above.

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Jackson, who sits just inside the top 15 at 135lbs, has now won six straight fights, but continues to fly under the radar. Still, if his winning ways continue, he won’t be overlooked much longer.

Speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press following his latest win, Jackson (15-2) admitted that he was “kind of rough around the edges” in the fight. Marcos, he continued, “did a good job of staying lower and keeping his neck kind of sucked in, like a turtle. So he could absorb some of the punches. But I feel pretty good overall.”

Expanding on his opponent’s game plan, Jackson noted that “he did a good job just staying away from me. I caught him a couple of good times, he just did a good job, like just running away. I know he was trying to get me to chase him and stuff, so I was moving a little slower.”

Six straight victories is a feat in any weight class, but Jackson isn’t about the take his foot off the gas. “I’ll probably try to fight again immediately. If they can get me on that Atlanta card, I’d like that.” With UFC Atlanta set for June 14 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, that would be a relatively quick turnaround, but a manageable one.

Watch Montel Jackson’s full UFC Des Moines’ post-fight media appearance above.

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“The Dutch Knight,” or just RDR, put away the previously unbeaten Nickal in the second round, setting up the finish with knees that had been there for him all night.

Speaking with media outlets following the event, including Cageside Press, de Ridder noted that he “got him [Nickal] with some good shots,” while later expressing surprise with “how well he did on bottom.”

Still, after working Nickal over to the body, de Ridder (20-2), a former ONE Championship double champ, knew Nickal wasn’t responding well. “Every time I hit him to the body, I felt him dropping his hands a little bit, I felt him moving to his right like he was hurt a little bit,” noted de Ridder. Even prior to the knee and punches that put the fight away, “I felt like he was on his way out already.”

Some might be surprised by the fact that Reinier de Ridder was so willing to go to the ground with a three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion. But again, that may come down to not being familiar with RDR’s work outside the UFC.

“I think this goes for everything in life, and especially in fighting: you should look at what you do good, what you do well. Don’t be distracted by what anybody else brings to the table,” advised de Ridder. “It doesn’t matter. My jiu-jitsu, my judo, my wrestling is so good, I can hang with anybody. It doesn’t matter what they bring.”

As to getting the finish on the feet, “I’m still Dutch,” de Ridder said with a laugh. “I’m still Dutch deep inside.”

Following his victory at UFC Des Moines, de Ridder called out another American middleweight, Sean Strickland. That will no doubt bring a response from Strickland fans, and the former champ himself.

“I think I might be regretting it in a little bit,” admitted de Ridder, who likes the match-up anyway. “As I said in the cage, this was the best American wrestler,  let’s see the best American striker. I like Sean, he’s a funny dude, he’s a real character. And he’s top five.”

“I think it’s an interesting match-up style-wise. He has a very good jab, I don’t think my jab is too bad. I would like that fight, I would really like that fight.”

As to when he’d like to face Strickland, de Ridder didn’t hesitate. “Next week. Montreal baby, let’s go!” Unlikely, but it’s pretty clear RDR is loving staying active in the UFC, after ONE Championship sat him for extended periods of time.

Watch Reinier de Ridder’s full UFC Des Moines post-fight press conference above.

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The promotion’s debut in Des Moines came to a rather abrupt end when Figueiredo appeared to go down due to injury in the second round, clutching his knee. But as Sandhagen (18-5) later explained, the ailment was anything but a fluke.

The American expressed surprise, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight, that Deiveson had continued to attack Sandhagen’s own leg. “He didn’t have that at all. I don’t really know what he was doing. Even when I was hitting him, he wasn’t stopping, my arm hurts from hitting him with it. I don’t know really what that was about, but you’re not going to beat me at leg locks ever,” stated Sandhagen, who went on to explain how he brought about the finish.

“It was like a pop submission. The position is called 50/50. If you don’t know how to play 50/50, you’re going to pop your knee,” Sandhagen outlined.

“That wasn’t like an accidental thing. That was like, ‘hey Figgy, you’re either going to sit down on your butt, or we’re popping your knee. And that’s what happened.”

Sandhagen excels at that particular position thanks in part to who he trains with, he added. “I win at 50/50 every time, against all these guys. I train with the guy who invented the thing, Ryan Hall, so you will not beat me at 50/50. You can attack my legs all you want, those are very technical spots and I’m very good at those spots, so you’re not going to win there. At no point was I in danger.”

With a victory over a former UFC champion, Cory Sandhagen is now looking for a title shot, outright as opposed to taking on a back-up role for the upcoming Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley rematch. Perhaps at the expense of former champ Petr Yan, who is also vying for a title fight.

“I think I deserve the title shot next regardless. Who else is there? Umar [Nurmagomedov] just fought for the belt, lost. [Petr] Yan is coming off of a win, but also lost to both of the guys that are fighting, so I don’t know how exciting that would be,” noted Sandhagen. “And then I finished Figgy in a round and a half, Yan didn’t finish Figgy. Yan got dropped by Figgy, Figgy I think maybe hit me one time. So I showed that I’m better, I showed that I’m the best guy, and I deserve to be next.”

Should he need to wait a little— Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley 2 takes place in June, so the winner may not be ready until later in the year— Sandhagen is willing to sit if need be. Up to a point, anyway. “If it’s the belt next, I’ll wait. I don’t know how long, but I’ll wait.”

As for a preference in who he fights for the title, Sandhagen stated that “they’re both pretty exciting, but I guess to not be boring my answer would be me and O’Malley, because that’s what the fans want to see.”

Watch Cory Sandhagen’s full UFC Des Moines post-fight press conference above.

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“That was a hard lesson I had to learn, and I never want to do that again,” Petersen admitted, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press following the bout. “I’m certainly not afraid to fight, and I’ll fight anybody anywhere, but if we’re doing it organized and the other guy’s world class, and he’s doing his best game plan, I’m going to do my best game plan.”

Despite having to stick to a game plan, Petersen was still extremely upbeat following the fight — though perhaps not as elated as he would have been had he gone out and got in a brawl with Don’Tale Mayes. Instead, Petersen took the towering Mayes the distance in a patient, measured fight.

“I’ll tell you what man, there’s nothing better than just going out there and letting them fly, and enjoying it. Because this sport is a high, man,” exclaimed Petersen. “If you haven’t done it, you should do it once, because there’s no higher feeling than you’ll feel winning in this sport. It’s like gambling, when you roll the dice, it’s the same high.”

Of course, that gamble becomes a little more difficult when Petersen considers just what is on the line, which includes his family. “I’ve got three kids. I’ve got a beautiful wife, I’ve got beautiful kids, I’ve got to be responsible. If they keep letting me fight here, I’ve got to win, I’ve got to be exciting, I’ve got to perform at my best. Because I’ve got kids to take care of. It was just me, I’d go out there and throw a spinning cartwheel kick just to try it. But this sport, you need to be disciplined. The more disciplined guy usually wins.”

Moving forward, Petersen wants to find himself ranked in the UFC heavyweight division, and he had some names to call out back stage at the Wells Fargo Arena. “I want to fight that black spider, that Brazilian spider in Brazil, or Mick Parkin in London.”

The black spider in question would be Tallison Teixeira, a six foot seven specimen with a spider tattooed on his chest. Teixeira has just a single fight in the UFC, but is undefeated, and one of the brighter prospects in the weight class. England’s Parkin just had his own unbeaten record tarnished, suffering a loss to Marcin Tybura, but he had been on a four-fight win streak prior to that.

“I want to get in the rankings, I belong there, I want to work my way up,” stated Petersen, who is willing to engage Parkin in hostile territory in Britain. “The USA whupped their ass back in the day here, I figure we can do it there.”

Watch Thomas Petersen’s full UFC Des Moines media day appearance above.

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Deiveson Figueiredo went down to a knee injury in the UFC Des Moines bantamweight headliner, where he faced Cory Sandhagen. That might have taken the fight, and victorious Sandhagen, out of the running for a bonus, but the UFC still opted to reward Sandhagen for his efforts to that point.

The night’s co-headliner was much clearer. Reinier de Ridder, who earned a TKO finish of the previously undefeated Bo Nickal, cashed in, pocketing $50,000 U.S. for serving up the first loss of the NCAA champion wrestler’s career. Some nasty knees helped put Nickal away, giving RDR his third win under the UFC banner in three trips to the octagon.

Defeating a stud prospect might also put de Ridder on the fast track at middleweight.

Those were two of four Performance of the Night bonuses awarded at UFC Des Moines, which skipped a Fight of the Night despite Jeremy Stephens and Mason Jones putting on a very solid showing in the main card opener. Instead, Sandhagen, de Ridder, Azamat Bekov (who put away TUF winner Ryan Loder), and Quang Le all earned themselves performance bonuses.

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The UFC’s debut in Des Moines had already seen another Canadian talent, Gillian Robertson, pick up arguably the biggest win of her career, finishing Marina Rodriguez. Sidey was looking to build on that, against the very dangerous Smotherman, winner of four straight.

Sidey was mobile early, and fired first, landing a leg kick with considerable force, and later a second. Smotherman was a little more reserved, a little heavier on his feet. After some back-and-forth on the feet with little in the way of significant strikes, Sidey changed levels, charging into a takedown attempt that he couldn’t quite finish. After five minutes, a close round was arguably won by Sidey, who had connected just a little cleaner.

Serhiy Sidey opened the second round with a quick takedown, though Smotherman quickly moved to one knee, before returning to his feet. More exchanges on the feet underscored Sidey being the faster, more accurate fighter. He was also winning the grappling battles, landing another takedown (ever so briefly, and possibly not officially) at the end of the frame.

Once again in the third, Sidey was able to get the fight to the ground, this time briefly having a chance at a choke, though he couldn’t finish it. Well up in the fight, Sidey was on his way to a decision win, with Smotherman badly in need of a finish, or at least a change in momentum to find a finish. On the feet, Sidey hadn’t lost a step, and was circling on the outside. Smotherman started loading up on his shots, and would take more big swings at the end of the round. Serhiy Sidey, however, just wasn’t there to be hit, and began celebrating as soon as the horn sounded.

Official Result: Serhiy Sidey def. Cameron Smotherman by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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A determined, downright aggressive Tate came out firing in the fight, doubling up on her jab and landing repeated left hands on the taller, longer Santos. Yana would return fire, but through the opening minute, it was “Cupcake” Tate getting the better of things. The pace would, understandably, slow a bit as the round wore on, but Tate did keep the pressure up, and threaten to take the pack at one point. Tate worked the body in the clinch, fired kicks, and overall kept Santos guessing; Santos finally went after her won takedown, which Tate fought off. Santos found her rhythm in the back half of the round, doing damage to the legs and catching Tate coming in at times, making the round much closer than it looked from the outset.

Round two didn’t have the same red-hot start, and instead saw a number of exchanges, usually abbreviated, and grappling back-and-forths play out. Santos had the edge in volume as the fight wore on, and Tate was easily stuffed when shooting in on takedowns that were lower and lower percentage. Ultimately, it was a strong round for Yana Santos, who picked up where she left off at the end of the first.

A key takedown finally arrived for Miesha Tate about 90 seconds into round three. She planted Santos firmly on her back, with “Cupcake” sitting in half guard. Tate was able to land punches to the head as Santos rolled to her knees, thrashing wildly; that allowed Tate to take the back, locking on with a body triangle. Tate landed more shots to the head and tried to reposition, but just couldn’t get under the chin. Elbows to the side of the head came next from Tate, who still had the back, Santos on top of her. Tate couldn’t get the finish, but ended the round strong as they headed to the scorecards.

The judges saw it the same across the board after 15 minutes, with Yana Santos earning triplicate 29-28 scores.

Official Result: Yana Santos def. Miesha Tate by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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