UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Figuieredo - Odds, Predictions & Picks

• Number-4 ranked Sandhagen takes on former flyweight champion

• Bo Nickal takes on his first ranked opponent in co-main event

• Ponzinibbio aims to climb back into the welterweight rankings

UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs Figuieredo

The odds for this match are provided by the FanDuel Sportsbook. Place your bets at FanDuel and get $200 in Bonus Bets with a winning wager.

UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo - Picks & Predictions

Cory Sandhagen vs Deiveson Figueiredo - Bantamweight division

• My pick: Cory Sandhagen (-520) at FanDuel

Renier de Ridder vs Bo Nickal - Middleweight division

• My pick: Renier de Ridder (+240) at FanDuel

Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Daniel Rodriguez - Welterweight division

• My pick: Daniel Rodriguez (-102) at FanDuel

Montel Jackson vs Daniel Marcos - Bantamweight division

• My pick: Montel Jackson (-215) at FanDuel

Cameron Smotherman vs Serhiy Sidey - Bantamweight division

• My pick: Serhiy Sidey (-142) at FanDuel

Jeremy Stephens vs Mason Jones - Lightweight division

• My pick: Mason Jones (-620) at FanDuel

Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo - Bantamweight Division

Former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo participates in his fifth bantamweight bout - a division in which he has gone 3-1. 

After winning his first three bantamweight bouts in a row, BJJ black belt Figuieredo was defeated by former champion Petr Yan in his most recent fight that took place last November.

He takes on the number-four ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen, who, with a win over Figueiredo, could finally find himself as the number-one contender for the championship.

Sandhagen was riding a three-fight winning streak before losing his number-one contender bout to Umar Nurmagomedov by decision last August.

Sandhagen will have a huge six-inch height advantage and a 1.5-inch reach advantage over Figueiredo. He is massively favored at -520 over the former flyweight champion.

To find out how to place your bets for this top-10 bantamweight main event, check out our ultimate UFC betting guide to get started.

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Renier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal - Middleweight Division

For the first time in his four-fight UFC tenure, Bo Nickal will take on a ranked middleweight contender.

Nickal, undefeated at 7-0, most recently defeated Paul Craig by unanimous decision at UFC 309 last November. 

He takes on the number-13 ranked UFC newcomer Renier de Ridder, who holds black belts in both judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

De Ridder joined the UFC just last year and has defeated both Gerald Meerschaert and, most recently, Kevin Holland.

Bo Nickal will be five-years younger in this co-main event but de Ridder will stand three-inches taller and boast a four-inch reach advantage. However de Ridder is listed as the +240 underdog in this matchup.

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Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez - Welterweight Division

Former top-ten welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio was on a seven-fight winning streak before missing significant time due to injury. When he returned in 2021, things haven’t been the same and the former top contender has gone just 3-5 in his last eight appearances.

However, he did snap a two-fight skid with his most recent TKO win over Carlston Harris that took place back in January.

He takes on Daniel Rodriguez, who is the same age and height as Ponzinibbio.

Rodriguez recently snapped a three-fight losing streak with his split decision win over Alex Morono last October.

From a betting perspective, this is the closest fight on the main card, with Ponzinibbio being listed at -125 compared to Rodriguez at -102.

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Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos - Bantamweight Division

Undefeated at 17-0, Daniel Marcos is 4-0 in the UFC (with one no-contest) and aims to defeat Montel Jackson this weekend for his fifth win in a row.

Marcos most recently defeated Adrian Yanez by split-decision last December.

Beating Montel Jackson, however, will be no easy feat. Jackson will stand three-inches taller than Marcos and will have a 6.5-inch reach advantage. Jackson has also won his last five fights in a row, including his most recent first-round KO over Da’Mon Blackshear last July.

Jackson is listed as the -215 betting favorite.

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Cameron Smotherman vs. Serhiy Sidey - Bantamweight division

After defeating Jake Hadley in his UFC debut last October, Cameron Smotherman looks to stay undefeated for the promotion when he takes on Serhiy Sidey.

Sidey is 1-1 in the UFC. After losing his debut in early 2024, he rebounded with a split-decision win over Garrett Armfield last November.

Smotherman will stand two-inches shorter than his opponent and will be at a reach disadvantage of three-inches. He is listed as the +112 underdog for this bout.

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Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones - Lightweight division

Making his UFC return after an almost four-year absence, Jeremy Stephens will take on another fighter returning to the UFC octagon after time away: Mason Jones.

Stephens last fought for the UFC in July 2021. He lost to Mateusz Gamrot in what was his fifth loss in a row. He has since fought three times for the PFL, going just 1-2 for that promotion. He also went 3-0 with the Bare Knuckle Boxing organization.

Mason Jones last fought for the UFC in July 2022, losing to L’udovit Klein. He joined with Cage Warriors and has gone 4-0 since. He last fought in July 2024  earning a decision win over Michael Pagani.

Jones will be the younger, taller and longer fighter. He has also remained more active in the sport of mixed martial arts. For these reasons, oddsmakers have Jones listed as a -620 favorite to win. He is the largest betting favorite on the main card.

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How to Watch UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Figuieredo

• Location: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa

• When: Saturday, May 3

• Time: 10 PM EST

• How: ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet