UFC Des Moines Loses Light Heavyweight Fight Due To Double Injury

The UFC’s long-awaited return to Iowa is down a fighter after a scheduled light heavyweight clash saw both fighters withdraw due to injury.

On Tuesday, the promotion announced that the 205-pound bout between Junior Tafa and Tuco Tokkos is off the docket this Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena due to both fighters suffering injuries. Details regarding the injuries were not disclosed, and the promotion is expected to rebook the fight for a later date, once both athletes are good to go.

Tafa was coming off a second-round TKO victory over Sean Sharaf this past October that snapped a two-fight skid. Tokkos, on the other hand, dropped a unanimous decision to Navajo Stirling at UFC Tampa in December.

UFC Des Moines boasts some big names

The fight card will move forward with 12 bouts, headlined by a featherweight showdown between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo in the evening’s headliner.

In the co-main event, former two-division ONE world champion Reinier de Ridder will seek his third straight win inside the Octagon against the former Nittany Lion and undefeated mixed martial artist, Bo Nickal.

Rounding out the card will be former Miletich Fighting Systems standout Jeremy Stephens, one-time UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate, and submission specialist Gillian Robertson. Check out the full fight card below:

Main Card (ESPN 2 & ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET)

Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal

Daniel Rodriguez vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio

Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos

Cameron Smotherman vs. Serhiy Sidey

Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)

Miesha Tate vs. Yana Santos

Ryan Loder vs. Azamat Bekoev

Marina Rodriguez vs. Gillian Robertson

Gaston Bolanos vs. Quang Le

Don’Tale Mayes vs. Thomas Petersen

Juliana Miller vs. Ivana Petrovic

Card subject to change.