From the outset, Sandhagen looked more aggressive and dialled in, taking the fight to the former flyweight champion, landing with force and ruthless intent as Figueiredo hunted for leg locks throughout the first. It was more of the same in the second, with the Colorado native aiming to do damage at every turn, with Figueiredo suffering a knee injury while the two men were scrambling through a 50/50 position.

This was an outstanding showing from Sandhagen, who is a mainstay in the Top 5 and looked better than he has in some time in this one. He called for a date with the winner of the upcoming bantamweight title fight, as well as volunteering to be the backup for that fight, and could very well get one or both of those wishes granted after a performance like this one to close out the night in Des Moines.

Prelim Results | Official Scorecards | Watch Replay On ESPN+

The Dutchman used a steady diet of shots in the midsection to chip away at the gas tank of the unbeaten prospect, earning in the first round, where the two spent half the frame on the canvas. But de Ridder came out aggressively to start the second, continuing to fire off knees and punches to the body, and as Nickal clearly started to fade, de Ridder folded him over with one more stepping knee to the liver, halting the action.

This was a massive victory for the veteran from the Netherlands, who is now 3-0 since arriving in the UFC and just stopped one of the best prospects in the sport. De Ridder has looked better in each of his three appearances, and should get a massive opportunity next time out after handing Nickal the first loss of his career.

Prelim Results | Official Scorecards | Watch Replay On ESPN+

“D-Rod” had Ponzinibbio on shaky legs in the first, capitalizing on a stumble that opened the door for him to attack and clearly win the opening frame. The Argentine rallied in the second, mixing in takedown attempts with better offensive effectiveness, but early in the third, Rodriguez connected with a three-punch combination that put Ponzinibbio on the deck, where he swiftly secured the finish.

This was the first stoppage win for Rodriguez in nearly four years, and a great follow-up performance to his win over Alex Morono last year. The 38-year-old veteran is an all-action fixture in the welterweight ranks, and should land another solid assignment next time out after this weekend’s stoppage win.

Prelim Results | Official Scorecards | Watch Replay On ESPN+

There wasn’t a ton of offence on either side over the first two rounds, with Jackson seemingly having a little more success in the opening frame before Marcos was slightly more active and effective in the second. Jackson came out throwing with a greater sense of urgency to start the third, landing a smattering of shots before the Peruvian looked to clinch and grapple, largely to no avail.

When the scorecards were collected and totalled, it was Jackson that came out on the happy side of the verdict. While not the highlight reel finishes that he recorded in his two previous outings, “Quik” did enough to keep things moving in the right direction and hand Marcos the first loss of his professional career.

Prelim Results | Official Scorecards | Watch Replay On ESPN+

The Ukranian-born Canadian was the more active and effective of the two throughout, doing well to offer more value and more variety, landing the better strikes, while mixing in takedowns and initiating clinch situations. Smotherman came out more aggressively in the third, knowing he needed a finish, but the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate did well to weather the initial rush, maintain his movement, and ride out the final five minutes.

All three judges scored the fight in favor of the DWCS alum, awarding Sidey his second straight win. The Burlington, Ontario native continued to show a diverse approach and a sound understanding of what is needed to win at this level, allowing him to kick off the year with a quality victory and maintain his momentum as we head into the summer.

Prelim Results | Official Scorecards | Watch Replay On ESPN+

Jones was the aggressor and the more effective of the two early, doing well to mix up his attacks and keep Stephens from landing too much of real consequence. Stephens had more success in the second as the two went back-and-forth before Jones turned to his grappling to neutralize Stephens’ striking and dominate the final round.

This was a good return to the win column in the UFC for Jones, who went 1-2 with one no contest in his first run before an excellent four-fight stint in Cage Warriors. He’s won five straight overall and showed good awareness in the third to ensure he secured the victory after happily trading blows with Stephens through the opening 10 minutes.

Prelim Results | Official Scorecards | Watch Replay On ESPN+