Tag: UFC on ESPN 67

UFC on ESPN 67 news: Trevor Peek out due to leg fracture while jumping rope

While training at the UFC PI, Trevor Peek fractured his leg, forcing him out of a scheduled fight against Jeong Yeong Lee in May.

[autotag]Trevor Peek[/autotag] says he is out of UFC on ESPN 67 after suffering an injury while training at the UFC PI.

Peek (9-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) was set to face Jeong Yeong Lee (11-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a featherweight bout at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, on May 3. Unfortunately, Peek said he fractured his leg while working out at the UFC PI in Las Vegas, prompting officials to remove him from the bout.

“I actually fractured my leg at the performance institution on Friday,” Peek said in a video posted to Instagram. “It’s not a bad fracture. I still have to go get CT scans in the next day or two and figure out if I’ve got any kind of ligament damage or anything like that.

“I wish I had a cool story on how I did it, but I got on some soft mats and was jump roping. I was alternating each leg. I’ve been jump roping for 20-something minutes and got a little tired, a little careless, and wasn’t paying attention. I come down with all my weight on my left leg and it sounded like a shotgun whenever it went off, it popped.”

Peek said since the injury took place at the UFC PI, officials were aware of the injury and removed him from his scheduled bout. He said if he could tape up his leg without the UFC knowing about it, he would have tried to compete. However, he also acknowledged the importance of his next fight and fighting healthy as he has lost three of his last four outings, including both appearances in 2024.

If his recovery goes to plan, Peek is hoping to land a spot on a card expected to take place in Nashville, Tenn. on July 12. The promotion has yet to officially announce the event.

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UFC on ESPN 67 adds Gaston Bolanos vs. Quang Le to Des Moines lineup

The UFC returns to Iowa for the first time since 2000.

The UFC’s return to Des Moines, Iowa, has another fight.

At UFC on ESPN 67 on May 3, Peru’s [autotag]Gaston Bolanos[/autotag] will battle Vietnam’s [autotag]Qaung Le[/autotag] in a three-round bantamweight bout at Wells Fargo Arena.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Bolanos (8-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) competed nine times under the Bellator banner before he jumped to the UFC. After a debut win over Aaron Phillips, Bolanos lost to Marcus McGhee. He rebounded in his most recent outing with a win over Cortavious Romious.

Le (8-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) seeks his first UFC win in his third attempt. After establishing himself as a knockout artist on the regional scene, including wins in seven LFA appearances, Le signed with the UFC in mid-2024. He lost his debut to Chris Gutierrez before a knockout defeat to Xiao Long.

With the addition the UFC on ESPN 67 lineup includes:

  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
  • Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal
  • Mason Jones vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Mario Bautista vs. Marlon Vera
  • Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate
  • Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez
  • Jeong Yeong Lee vs. Trevor Peek
  • Serhiy Sidey vs. Cameron Smotherman
  • Junior Tafa vs. Tuco Tokkos
  • Azamat Bekoev vs. Ryan Loder
  • Don’Tale Mayes vs. Thomas Petersen
  • Juliana Miller vs. Ivana Petrovic

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 67.

Bo Nickal: Me vs. Khamzat Chimaev top three biggest fights UFC can make

Bo Nickal is confident that a fight between him and Khamzat Chimaev would do massive numbers.

[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] is confident that a fight between him and [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] would do massive numbers.

Both undefeated and boasting strong grappling bases, Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has been angling to fight Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) since he’s entered the UFC. The pair have exchanged words in the past, but Chimaev is far ahead of Nickal in the title race.

Nickal takes on former ONE Championship title holder Reiner De Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in a three-round middleweight bout May 3 at UFC on ESPN 67 from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Meanwhile, Chimaev is expected to be next in line for UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis.

While Nickal acknowledges that he’s not there just yet, he thinks a future fight with Chimaev would be a blockbuster.

“100 percent, that’s the most exciting fight there is in the division in my opinion,” Nickal said in an interview with Home of Fight. “I think as far as the fights in the UFC, you’ve got at the top: (Jon) Jones and (Tom) Aspinall, you’ve got Ilia (Topuria) potentially with Islam (Makhachev) or another 55’er, and then I think right after that, the most exciting fight next is me and Khamzat. That’s something that the fans need to see, that I want to see. I’m sure he wants it, as well, so I’ve just got to keep winning fights and we’ll make it happen.”

If Chimaev vs. Du Plessis is indeed next, Nickal thinks Chimaev’s grappling prowess will prove to be too much.

“Tough fight: I think that Dricus has the size. He probably has a little better cardio,” Nickal said. “I think striking is pretty even. Khamzat obviously has a massive advantage in the grappling. All that considered, I think I’d give the edge to Khamzat because of that wrestling advantage. We really haven’t seen – you just don’t get strong grapplers like that competing. You’re not used to that.

“No matter what Dricus is going to do, he’s not going to be able to game plan for that, and he’s not going to have felt that from anyone. Really the only two guys I believe in the sport that can give that feel are me and Khamzat. I think that gives him an edge, that gives him an advantage. The longer the fight goes, the bigger the advantage is for Dricus, but seeing Khamzat in his last fight against Whittaker, he was very impressive. All in all, it’s going to be a great fight, but I would give the edge to Khamzat.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 67.

‘TUF 30’ winner Juliana Miller returns at UFC Des Moines vs. Ivana Petrovic

UFC Des Moines is now up to 14 fights. Check out the full lineup here.

“TUF 30” winner [autotag]Juliana Miller[/autotag] has her next fight on the books.

At UFC on ESPN 67, Miller (3-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) will take on former ARES FC champion [autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in a women’s flyweight bout. The event takes place May 3 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Miller lost back-to-back fights after she won “The Ultimate Fighter 30” final against Brogan Walker in 2022. Following a unanimous decision loss to Veronica Hardy, Miller was finished with strikes in the first round by Luana Santos. She has not competed since August 2023 due to injuries.

Petrovic lost her UFC debut to Luana Carolina via unanimous decision. She then bounced back with a submission of Liang Na before a split decision loss to Jamy-Lyn Horth.

With the addition, the UFC on ESPN 67 lineup includes:

  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
  • Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal
  • Mason Jones vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Mario Bautista vs. Marlon Vera
  • Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate
  • Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez
  • Jeong Yeong Lee vs. Trevor Peek
  • Serhiy Sidey vs. Cameron Smotherman
  • Junior Tafa vs. Tuco Tokkos
  • Azamat Bekoev vs. Ryan Loder
  • Don’Tale Mayes vs. Thomas Petersen
  • Juliana Miller vs. Ivana Petrovic

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 67.

Reinier de Ridder shares surprising wish for Bo Nickal fight at UFC on ESPN 67

Reinier de Ridder welcomes Bo Nickal’s wrestling and wants to see if he can “get his neck” at UFC Des Moines.

[autotag]Reinier de Ridder[/autotag] welcomes [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag]’s wrestling at UFC on ESPN 67.

De Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) meets Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a three-round middleweight bout May 3 at UFC on ESPN 67 from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. After submitting Kevin Holland at UFC 311 in January, the former ONE Championship champion called out multiple top contenders, including Khamzat Chimaev. While he didn’t get his wish, he still sees value in a win over Nickal.

“I’m happy with the fight,” De Ridder told MMA Junkie Radio. “It’s a good one. It’s not what I asked for. I asked for a top-five guy, but I think he’s a top-five name, right? He’s a very popular guy here in the States, and yeah, I’m happy with the matchup. See if we can make him grapple a bit, see if we can make him wrestle a bit. I think whatever happens, I might steal the spotlight in this one.”

Nickal picked up his most notable win to date when he defeated Paul Craig by unanimous decision at UFC 309. Nickal opted not to shoot a single takedown and only strike, but De Ridder hopes the standout wrestler doesn’t shy away from his bread and butter in their fight.

“I feel my wrestling is pretty decent, as well,” De Ridder said. “I really want to make him wrestle this time. Last fight he was just sticking and moving, throwing that wild overhand of his, and trying to make sure he didn’t wrestle at all. But let’s make it a wrestling match this time, see if we can get him to shoot a couple of times, see if I can get his neck.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 67.

UFC’s Bo Nickal explains why he asked for ‘interesting’ Reinier de Ridder fight

Bo Nickal sees Reinier de Ridder as a logical step up in competition at UFC on ESPN 67.

[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] sees [autotag]Reinier de Ridder[/autotag] as a logical step up in competition.

Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) takes on former ONE Championship title holder De Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in a three-round middleweight bout May 3 at UFC on ESPN 67 from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

Nickal revealed that he specifically wanted to fight De Ridder.

“This is a matchup that I asked for, so I feel like it’s a matchup that’s exciting for a lot of reasons,” Nickal said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “He’s had a lot of success in other organizations, had success in the UFC, and it’s a natural step up for me. I want to keep fighting better and better guys.

“This is a guy who has a proven track record and many, many finishes. It’s an interesting matchup. It’s a similar matchup to the Paul Craig fight, where he’s got more of a jiu-jitsu style. But I think obviously with him being on a win streak and also having a different type of style on the feet, I think it will prove to be an interesting fight, but I’m pumped up.”

Nickal is coming off his biggest win to date, a unanimous decision over formerly ranked light heavyweight Paul Craig at UFC 309. The standout wrestler wants to continue testing himself but admits it hasn’t been easy to find the right type of opponent.

“There are some people who want to fight me, and there are a lot who don’t,” Nickal said. “It seems like the people who want to fight me, it’s all upside for them, and they maybe want to gain some clout off my name. Then the people that, as I move up the ranks, that maybe have a lot to lose, they don’t want to take the matchup as much.

“In reality, there’re only about half a dozen people I could fight because of what makes sense with my career and my progression. At the end of the day, I asked for this fight. It was a fight that I wanted, and I don’t know that he wanted it, but the UFC is the one who makes the decisions. They like it, and we’ll do it.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 67.

Cory Sandhagen explains Sean O’Malley’s ‘advantage’ for UFC title rematch vs. Merab Dvalishvili

Cory Sandhagen thinks the odds could be swayed into Sean O’Malley’s favor in a UFC title rematch vs. Merab Dvalishvili.

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] thinks the odds could be swayed into [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]’s favor in a potential UFC bantamweight title rematch vs. [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag].

Although O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) had limited success when he lost the 135-pound belt to Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) by unanimous decision at UFC 306 in September, “Suga” has expressed that he felt he deserved the nod on the scorecards, and revealed he entered with a hip injury which has since required surgery.

UFC CEO Dana White recently hinted that O’Malley will get an immediate rematch against Dvalishvili next, and although that might seem unfair to the rest of the division given he only defended one during his brief reign, perennial contender Sandhagen understands why the organization would go in that direction.

“I’m not surprised – we all know why,” Sandhagen told MMA Junkie. “O’Malley has a really big following. That’s the reason. Umar (Nurmagomedov) and Merab’s fight was much closer than O’Malley and Merab’s fight. If you were going to give a rematch to anyone you would probably give it to the guy that was closer, if it was just pen and paper of what makes sense. But there’s a lot of things that go into the sport, and being more famous than other people is one of them. Sean O’Malley has that leverage over everybody, and good on him. He worked really hard in order to gain that, so I’m not going to hate on him for it. But that’s definitely why.”

In the first fight, Dvalishvili was able to mix up his striking and takedowns to keep O’Malley guessing and get the decision. O’Malley’s big moment in the fight came when he backed Dvalishvili off with a hard body kick late in the final round, but other than that, he struggled to connect with damaging strikes.

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Sandhagen thinks O’Malley could build on his sporadic points of success in a rematch, but in order to win, he has to be on point in every facet of the game.

“It’s so funny because that’s literally the only thing O’Malley scored the entire fight that was significant, and it was way at the end,” Sandhagen said. “I just think that’s funny because a lot of people are talking about the one body kick. It’s like, ‘Dude, you lost the entire rest of the fight.’ You can make an argument, but the vibe of that fight to me was that O’Malley was losing and he was the one not in control of that fight. But I could definitely see a situation where O’Malley comes back and he does really well. I love underdog stories and I assume O’Malley will probably be the underdog.

“I love rooting for an underdog, so maybe O’Malley will do well, but it’s hard for me to imagine the fight going too different from the first one, but also at the same time, the guy who has the puncher’s chance obviously their ability to knock the person out goes up if you give them another 25 minutes to try to figure out how to do so. It’s definitely an advantage for O’Malley going into this fight.”

With the rematch likely on deck, Sandhagen (17-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will use the meantime to try to build a title shot case of his own. He meets Deiveson Figueiredo (24-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC on ESPN 67 on May 3 in Des Moines, Iowa (ESPN2, ESPN+), and thinks the right type of performance could elevate him to the forefront of the title conversation.

Sandhagen thinks a fight against O’Malley would be the more-desired option for the UFC and the fans, but he is also intrigued by the puzzle that is Dvalishvili, and would relish the chance to end his winning streak and take the strap.

“Merab’s a fine champion,” Sandhagen said. “I don’t really think too much about what Merab is as a champion from a fan’s standpoint, but I think Merab is super skilled. He’s on like a 13-fight win streak. You don’t just oops your way into winning 13 fights. You have to be very good in order to do that. Merab’s obviously one of the best guys in the sport right now, and I think if me and him fight, it would be a really interesting fight. I think I can win that fight for sure. I think that I can be able to control the space similar to the way O’Malley was, but I’m just a way better wrestler than O’Malley is, offensively and defensively. I hit harder now. I’m very athletic.

“I didn’t get to show a lot of the new things I’ve been working on in the last one because Umar was wrestling the sh*t out of me so much, but I think I do awesome against Merab. We’ve kind of seen him fight everyone else. … I go out and I beat Figgy really well, I don’t really see a situation where you can’t at least understand the argument that I should be fighting for the belt next.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 67.

Cory Sandhagen: ‘Masterful performance’ vs. Deiveson Figueiredo can set up UFC title shot

Cory Sandhagen sees a realistic path to challenge Merab Dvalishvili or Sean O’Malley for gold with a UFC Des Moines main event win.

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] is determined to get a UFC title shot in 2025, and it starts with a UFC on ESPN 67 main event win over Deiveson Figueiredo.

After dropping a unanimous decision to Umar Nurmagomedov in a bantamweight title eliminator in August, Sandhagen (17-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will attempt to put himself back on the contender path against Figueiredo (24-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) in the headliner of the May 3 event at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa (ESPN2, ESPN+).

With expectations that 135-pound champ Merab Dvalishvili will rematch Sean O’Malley in his next defense, Sandhagen is looking at his upcoming fight as a prime opportunity to make a statement. He is one of the highly ranked names who hasn’t fought either man, and Sandhagen thinks there would be fan desire to see him fight Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) or O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for gold if he performs in the manner he anticipates.

“I like the fight a lot,” Sandhagen told MMA Junkie. “I have a lot of advantages going into this fight against Figgy. I’ve grown so much as a fighter. I lost a close one against a guy that lost a close one to the champ. I still don’t think I’m very far off from the belt by any means. I still think that I could one or two fights away for sure. I’m the only guy that hasn’t fought Merab that’s kind of going to be in the talks here pretty soon. I also think the entire world wants to see me and O’Malley fight each other. They’ve been begging for that fight, so that’s one that I definitely want too.

“I think this year is going to be a really good year for me. Hopefully I’ll get in three fights and one of them will be a championship fight. That might be a little optimistic, but that’s what I’m going to shoot for. I’m just excited to get back in. I think that I’m going to look great against a guy like Figgy. I do really well against guys that are hunting for a shot to finish the fight. With Figgy you have to worry about submissions and knockout, but I do really well against those guys and I think it’s going to be a fight where I can look really dynamic and put on a really masterful performance.”

Sandhagen, No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, said he sees paths to victory for both Dvalishvili and O’Malley in a potential rematch for the belt. The 32-year-old likes how he matches up with both sides, and hopes he’ll have the support if he can deliver against No. 11-ranked Figueiredo.

“Whether O’Malley or Merab wins, I’m the only guy in the top five that hasn’t fought Merab,” Sandhagen said. “Then O’Malley is someone people have been begging to have me and him fight for a really long time. The way that I think that I can beat Figgy, I’m pretty sure in my head is going to be a performance that speaks very loudly to me getting a title shot next.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 67.

Bo Nickal vs. Reinier de Ridder: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC Des Moines middleweight bout

Bo Nickal has opened up as a moderate favorite against his first ranked UFC opponent.

[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] will take on his first UFC ranked opponent at UFC on ESPN 67.

Bo Nickal vs. Reinier de Ridder preview

Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) gets an opportunity to enter the UFC’s middleweight rankings after scoring octagon wins over Jamie Pickett, Val Woodburn, Cody Brundage, and most recently Paul Craig at UFC 309.

Former ONE Championship title holder De Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) impressed in his first two UFC appearances when he scored back-to-back submission wins over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland.

Bo Nickal vs. Reinier de Ridder odds

According to DraftKings, undefeated Nickal has opened up as a moderate -218 favorite against De Ridder, who’s listed as a +180 underdog.

How to watch Bo Nickal vs. Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines

  • When: UFC on ESPN 67, Saturday, May 3, 2025
  • Where: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 67.

Bo Nickal gets UFC-ranked opponent for Des Moines showdown

The upcoming UFC Fight Night in Des Moines, Iowa has a star-studded lineup thus far.

[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] is taking a step up to fight ranked competition.

At UFC on ESPN 67 on May 3 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will take on former ONE Championship champion [autotag]Reinier de Ridder[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in a three-round middleweight bout.

The UFC made the middleweight bout official early Friday after an initial report by Full Send MMA.

Nickal, 29, has skyrocketed up the divisional ladder since crossing over from the world of collegiate wrestling. The 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy winner, Nickal entered MMA with a decorated resume and aims to one day add UFC gold to his list of accomplishments.

After two wins on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, Nickal signed with the promotion. Finishes over Jamie Pickett, Val Woodburn, and Cody Brundage led him to a UFC 300 showdown vs. Paul Craig. While he won the fight fairly lopsidedly, Nickal was criticized by some fans for the low entertainment value of the bout.

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De Ridder, 34, established himself as one of ONE Championship’s biggest stars, capturing light heavyweight and heavyweight gold over the span of his nine-fight stint for the organization.

After he lost both titles to Anatoly Malykhin, de Ridder exited the promotion, citing inactivity and mistreatment. After a win for UAE Warriors, de Ridder signed with the UFC in 2024. He’s since picked up back-to-back submission wins over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for May 3 includes:

  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
  • Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal
  • Mason Jones vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Mario Bautista vs. Marlon Vera
  • Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate
  • Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez
  • Jeong Yeong Lee vs. Trevor Peek
  • Serhiy Sidey vs. Cameron Smotherman
  • Junior Tafa vs. Tuco Tokkos
  • Azamat Bekoev vs. Ryan Loder

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 67.