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.
