The 94-year-old billionaire made the surprise announcement near the end of the company's annual meeting May 3, with vice chairman Greg Abel now set to take over as top executive at the end of the year the company's vice chairman of insurance operations while responding to questions in front of a huge crowd of shareholders Here are some of the things they talked about In an interview with CBS that aired in March, Buffett described tariffs as “an act of war.” they're a tax on goods," Buffett said at the time The ongoing reaction to President Donald Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs has fueled uncertainty and rattled the stock market and consumer confidence Buffett hasn't changed his mind on the subject "There's no question that trade can be an act of war and I think it's led to bad things, just the attitudes it's brought out in the United States," Buffett said during the meeting's question-and-answer session we should be looking to trade with the rest of the world and we should do what we do best and they should do what they do best." Buffett also emphasized that the "more prosperous the rest of the world becomes "We want a prosperous world," Buffett said "With eight countries with nuclear weapons including a few that are what I would call quite unstable I do not think it's a great idea to try and design a world where a few countries say we've won,' and other countries are envious." Buffett says US is 'always in the process of change' The U.S experienced "significant and revolutionary change," Buffett said in response to a question asking whether investors are too pessimistic about the U.S "We're always in the process of change," Buffett said "We'll always find all kinds of things to criticize in the country but the luckiest day in my life was the day I was born because I was born in the United States." He isn't discouraged by the fact that the country hasn't "solved every problem that's come along," he said I would just keep negotiating in the womb until they said you can be in the United States," he said Buffett brushes off recent stock market volitilityBuffett said he doesn't consider the stock market's recent volatility to be a "huge move," saying instead that it has not been "a dramatic bear market or anything of the sort." "If it makes a difference to you whether your stocks are down 15% or not you need to get a somewhat different investment philosophy," he said There will inevitably be ups and downs in the market and it will ultimately be up to investors to adapt "That's part of the stock market," he said "That's what makes it a good place to focus your efforts if you've got the proper temperament for it." it's not a good place to be if you're excited when markets are up and frightened when they're down but you've got to check them at the door when you invest," he said Buffett – before his surprise announcement – was asked what it was about Abel that made him the preferred successor "It's almost like finding the right person in marriage," he said "Some of you may have married the person you met on your first date … but sometimes it pays to wait Buffett also described his appreciation and enthusiasm for the people at Berkshire Hathaway "If you find people that are wonderful to work with Abel, a 62-year-old who was born in Canada but now lives in Des Moines, Iowa said he was "humbled and honored" by his role with Berkshire Hathaway "When you find something like Berkshire that's so special you fall in love with it and it becomes just what you want to do every day," he said Postal Service workers holding picket signs and chanting “U.S mail not for sale” gathered on a sunny morning in Windsor Heights to protest the Trump administration’s attempt to privatize the agency families and friends clad in red shirts that read “Fight like hell” gathered May 5 to express their concern with the possibility of privatization President Donald Trump said in February he was preparing to absorb the independent federal agency into the administration as part of the U.S the Washington Post reported that he was planning to dismiss the agency's board of governors whose members are appointed by the president and Senate But a White House spokesperson said no such executive order was planned Elon Musk, who is guiding the administration's Department of Government Efficiency, said he believes the postal service should be privatized. But Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in March struck a deal with Musk's DOGE team to work on a plan to cut losses including by offering early retirement to some 10,000 postal employees Postal Service for 27 years as a letter carrier told the crowd of more than 100 people he wants a secure post office in the years to come “What we’re doing is just doing our job,” Mitchell said who was holding a sign that read “Hell no to privatization,” said he relies on the U.S Postal Service to help deliver his medicine from the Veterans Administration “I know there's a lot of rural veterans that live far away from VA pharmacies and we rely on the postal carriers for things like that,” True said “The government's there to provide us stability for services in our life." Postal Service to deliver packages in the last mile "for so many things.” The postal service has been plagued by losses for years. It reported operating revenue of $79.5 billion in fiscal 2024 was up slightly from the $78.2 billion reported the previous year, but it still recorded a $9.5 billion net loss, according to the Postal Regulatory Commission Total mail volume fell to 112 billion deliveries down from the 116.2 billion deliveries in 2023 and almost half of the peak volume of 213 billion in 2006 A 2024 study by the Pew Research Center found that among federal agencies the postal service ranks second only to the U.S National Park Service in terms of favorability with the American public José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com or follow him on X @mendiola_news After he delivered a left strike that staggered Bo Nickal backwards UFC middleweight Reinier de Ridder (20-2) surged forward with a left knee to his opponent’s abdomen Nickal (7-1) collapsed near the cage before the referee called the fight in round two in favor of the Netherlands-born fighter de Ridder stood upward then blew kisses to a few upset fans in the crowd before he formed a heart-shaped motion to cap off his post-fight celebration at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on May 3 a four-time Penn State wrestling All-American the first loss of his mixed martial arts career He did it with a collection of body shots throughout the fight “I felt like every time I hit him to the body I felt him dropping his hands a little bit I felt him moving to his right like he was hurt a little bit,” de Ridder said I stepped back in; he hit me with a one-two (punch) 'that’s not smart' and then I hit him again to the body and I got him out of there and I felt he was on his way out already.” de Ridder’s walkout carried a roar of boos more than his octagon counterpart like a soldier entering enemy territory the TKO finish unleashed a high-pitched roar of applause It was de Ridder’s third-straight win in the UFC over the last six months bruises and a noticeable grin as he took his seat inside the media interview room in the depths of Wells Fargo Arena  “It wasn’t too bad right?” de Ridder said with a smirk post-fight The result offered a bit of jubilation and a victory over a rising prospect in Nickal the win was a stepping stone to a bigger opportunity against a top-ten fighter in the middleweight division He called for a fight against former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland Let’s do the best American striker,” de Ridder said he’s a real character … and I think he’s an interesting matchup style-wise He has a very good jab; I don’t think my jab is too bad he'd fight the following week if it meant that he'd climb the middleweight division at a faster rate he's enjoying the fruits of his labor focused on a higher-stakes showdown Marc Ray is the high school sports reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. He can be reached at MARay@gannett.com, and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn Renowned wrestler Nickal was viciously knocked out by two-weight ONE FC champion Reinier De Ridder last night in the co-main event of UFC Des Moines The defeat was his first since making the switch to MMA and fans have been brutal in their assessment Some have claimed that Nickal was ‘fraud checked’ by the result Elliott argues that after just eight fights he was taking a massive step up in competition to even get in the ring with someone like De Ridder Oban Elliott is no stranger to getting abuse from UFC fans on social media The cocky Welsh star has yet to taste defeat in the octagon but some viewers believe he is doing more talking than his record is justifying “Everyone slating Bo Nickal as if he hasn’t just fought the now 20-2 RDR,” Eliott tweeted amid fan feedback. “Former ONE two weight champion with his only losses coming from Malykhin, current ONE two weight champion (and former 3 weight champion), in his 8th MMA fight. You guys are crazy lol.” Fans claimed that the fact he had gone to the scorecards with Paul Craig last time out was enough to prove he had been ‘fraud checked’. But Elliott dismissed that idea as well, adding: “Bro Paul is a beast, enough!” Following his defeat to De Ridder, Bo Nickal spent the day remaining quiet before eventually taking to Instagram to give his take to fans. He kept the message brief, sharing a photo with a one-line caption next to it. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bo Nickal (@nobickal1) “Grateful for the highs and lows,” he wrote alongside a photo of himself stepping into the octagon with a black and white filter Nickal has recently teased future matchups against the likes of Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis But his performance last night in his latest major step up showed he still has a ways to go to compete against the top middleweights Decked out in white and blue Venum fight shorts, Cory Sandhagen laid on the octagon canvas with his leg locked around Deiveson Figueiredo’s left knee at UFC Fight Night in Des Moines the two bantamweights were in a battle for a leg lock on the ground Sandhagen tightened a firm hold on Figueiredo’s leg Sandhagen swept in with a barrage of punches to secure a TKO win due to an injury at Wells Fargo Arena on May 3 “You’re not going to beat me at leglocks ever,” Sandhagen said during the post-fight press conference I’m very good at those spots … at no point was I in danger.” More: Full results, analysis of UFC Fight Night in Des Moines, Sandhagen vs Figueiredo With a victory over a two-time flyweight champion and top bantamweight contender in Figueiredo Sandhagen cleared a path to a potential title shot The idea of fighting for a world title isn’t far-fetched for the Aurora “Me and my agency are going to talk to (the UFC) to see what’s kind of next; I think I deserve a title shot next regardless,” Sandhagen said hit me one time so I showed that I’m better I showed that I’m the best guy and I deserve to be next.” Sandhagen's resume makes a strong case for a title opportunity His win in Des Moines moved him into a tie for the fifth-most finishes in UFC bantamweight history also took home a $50,000 performance bonus He earned three straight wins over Song Yadong Marlon Vera and Rob Font before he fell to Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision in August 2024 Sandhagen has once again distinguished himself as a prime candidate for UFC gold Sandhagen said that he is willing to wait for the winner of UFC's upcoming bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley on June 7 It mirrors the type of grit he possesses each time he steps into the octagon he’s a scrapper willing to engage in a war with the division’s best whether it's on the ground or on the feet A UFC title remains the one prize that the 33-year-old has yet to add to his resume His win in Des Moines has inched him one step closer to that dream Mason Jones knew he wasn’t going to make many fans going up against a local favorite like Jeremy Stephens but he still put on a show before turning to his grappling for the final five minutes to secure the win at UFC Des Moines The British born fighter was more than ready to trade bombs with Stephens as the lightweights both left the octagon with a few new scars Jones’ relentless pressure and volume strikes combined with well-timed grappling dominance led him to the shutout victory with all three judges giving him the fight with 30-27 scorecards “I wanted to go out there and strike with him,” Jones said after the win Jones showed no fear stepping into the lion’s den with Stephens as he repeatedly fired off head kicks and then went low with some nasty leg kicks as well Stephens was firing back with his heavy hands including a stiff straight right that snapped Jones’ jaw around chipping away at Stephens with a variety of strikes The non-stop attacks from Jones really kept Stephens guessing and he was struggling to really get much offense going Jones scored a takedown and a near submission with a rear-naked choke but Stephens survived to the horn Jones was surging but Stephens was welcoming a brawl as he kept unloading huge hooks and uppercuts in an attempt to score the knockout with one shot Jones continued his assault with a nasty spinning back elbow and a cut emerged on Stephens’ face that had blood pouring down his face It was almost like that was exactly what Stephens needed because he uncorked a huge shot that blasted Jones and sent his mouthpiece flying out he definitely had to show caution because Stephens was clearly still very dangerous Jones secured another takedown to start the third round which earned him a loud chorus of boos from the Iowa faithful While Stephens defended well and tried to scramble free Jones just stayed on top of him and eventually looked for a kimura although he couldn’t quite snatch the submission Even when Stephens was able to briefly get back to his feet Jones immediately dragged him back down again and time was running out on the Des Moines’ native When the horn sound there was no doubt that Jones had done enough to win although Stephens definitely made a good account of himself in his UFC return Jones mentioned potentially competing again in July in Saudi Arabia while Stephens is free to do whatever he wants next after only inking a one-fight deal for the chance to compete at home in Iowa in the UFC The song “400 Degreez” by Juvenile rained through the speakers inside Wells Fargo Arena The Des Moines faithful were on their feet when the hometown favorite Jeremy Stephens made his walkout to the UFC octagon on May 3 But fellow lightweight Mason Jones heard the noise and played spoiler to the homecoming festivities in enemy territory The Welsh fighter earned a unanimous decision win over Stephens who made his UFC return after a nearly four-year hiatus from the company “I just want to go out there and destroy people and I hit Jeremy with so many big shots and I was wrecking the body … I felt like I could’ve finished him,” Jones said Stephens had his moments inside the octagon He took part in an exchange in the second round where he landed a few clean blows that bloodied Jones Jones fended off major damage and kept the momentum on his side Stephens was forced to defend a barrage of leg kicks from Jones Jones relied on his grappling to smother Stephens on the ground in round three Jones improved to 12-2 in his career while Stephens dropped to 28-20 his must end and I had to finish that," Jones said He’s Jeremy ‘Heathens’ Stephens and when that name came across my desk I was like After such a successful stint in BKFC where he destroyed Eddie Alvarez, Jeremy Stephens jumped at the chance to return to the UFC when the promotion announced UFC Des Moines ‘Lil Heathen’ fought against the returning Mason Jones who after an unsuccessful first stint in the promotion earned another shot in the UFC after a stretch of wins in Cage Warriors Stephens’ run in the UFC came to an end after he failed to pick up a win in six fights and he was hoping to buck that trend in his hometown The 38-year-old started the fight relatively impressively landing several heavy shots on the chin of his Welsh opponent Despite the majority of the first round playing out on the feet where Jones looked to showcase his own knockout power he mixed it up towards the end by scoring a takedown ‘The Dragon’s’ youthfulness played dividends as the fight went on as he managed to beat Stephens to the punch on most occasions and took the shots that came his way Although the second round played out closer between the two Jones once again landed the bigger shots and was seemingly up in the fight In the final round, the Welshman went back to his wrestling and scored an important takedown on ‘Lil Heathen’, controlling the majority of the round on the ground, going on to win a decision With Stephens’ return not being the fairytale he hoped it would be, it was made worse as he has now equaled the record for the most losses in UFC history with 19, matching Clay Guida Winning in the return 🫡@MasonJones1995 wins by UD at #UFCDesMoines 👏 pic.twitter.com/X5gU5HGfJA The 38-year-old only signed a one-fight deal to return to the UFC it is unlikely he will return to fight under the UFC banner again Despite that, Stephens had become one of the bigger stars in BKFC and he will undoubtedly return to the ring ‘Lil Heathen’ was hopeful of earning a fight against Conor McGregor after the two faced off in the ring after Stephens’ win over Alvarez The former bantamweight champion fell to a unanimous decision defeat at UFC Des Moines on Saturday night Miesha Tate nearly recreated her famous Holly Holm comeback in the third round against Yana Santos and 29–28 scorecards from the three judges sitting cageside at the Wells Fargo Arena some fans began talking about the 38-year-old bringing her legendary career to an end Miesha Tate is now on a run of just two wins in five fights since she ended her first retirement ‘Cupcake’ initially walked away from MMA in 2016 and some people are waiting for her to retire again In her first social media post after losing UFC Des Moines Ronda Rousey’s long-time rival appeared to be enjoying a post-fight feast with her inner circle “Life is too short to not live it!” Tate wrote on her Instagram story It’s currently unclear if Tate will fight on or call it a day after losing to the #10-ranked bantamweight Starting fast in the prelim headliner😤@MieshaTate came out throwing tonight early! [ #UFCDesMoines LIVE NOW on ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/MGGKasnkBA Santos was overjoyed about picking up a high-profile victory over one of the best female fighters ever However, the fans loudly booed throughout her post-fight interview with Michael Bisping, who was left red-faced after he called another fighter the wrong name throughout their bout at UFC Des Moines “It’s so hard to speak because everyone boos me,” Santos began “I never could dream to share the Octagon with her It’s more than my dream that I have a win over her it’s terrible to speak when everyone boos me This is the UFC Des Moines live blog for Miesha Tate vs. Yana Santos the featured bantamweight bout for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night event at Wells Fargo Arena Tate is set to make her 14th octagon appearance Check out the live blog for Miesha Tate vs Santiago Ponzinibbio and Daniel Rodriguez meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 67 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom 12-7 UFC) will look to string together a pair of victories for the first time sinze 2018 The past eight outings have produced mixed results for Ponzinibbio although he enters this matchup on the heels of a January third-round stoppage of Carlston Harris 8-4 UFC) also aims to make it two in a row following a split decision win over Alex Morono in October That result snapped a three-fight skid stretching back to 2022 Filling out the main card is a potential welterweight war between Ponzinibbio and Rodriguez are action fighters who aren't afraid to exchange on the feet there's no denying that Ponzinibbio and Rodriguez have experienced some drop-offs in their abilities at this stage of their careers Although Ponzinibbio officially stands at 1-2 opposite UFC-level southpaws the Argentinian tends to strike fairly well in open-stance affairs once he's found his flow who has always had a propensity to get stung early has steadily become less durable in this last stretch of his career Rodriguez is not beyond being hurt himself but I suspect that Ponzinibbio's aggression and patterns will bring out the best in his opposition It's hard to be confident either way (as I secretly hope I'm wrong here) but I'll reluctantly side with Rodriguez to edge a narrow decision that the judges will likely be split on Despite the oddsmakers opening the Mexican-American as the favorite public money has flipped the betting lines in the Argentinian's favor listing Ponzinibbio -142 and Rodriguez +116 via FanDuel Ponzinibbio and Rodriguez are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 11:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN 2 and streams on ESPN+ It wasn’t long ago the UFC slugger was on a 7-1 run in the UFC welterweight division. Rodriguez picked up impressive wins over stars Mike Perry and Kevin Lee before losing to some of the bigger names at 170lbs like Ian Machado Garry Daniel Rodriguez returned to the win column with a decision effort over Alex Morono before one-upping that performance at UFC Des Moines on Saturday Rodriguez would collide with 19-fight UFC veteran Santiago Ponzinibbio in an all-action welterweight battle was coming off a TKO win earlier this year Rodriguez nearly stopped Ponzinibbio late in the opening round after he had found his opponent’s timing and chin Rodriguez chased the finish but to no avail Ponzinibbio stayed for the most part upright Round 3 would be a completely different story putting together a multiple-hit combo with a left hook to send Ponzibbio backwards to the canvas Ponzinibbio landed a follow-up shot for good measure on the ground before the referee stopped the contest The Argentinian immediately protested the stoppage struggling to stay on his feet once he got up DANIEL RODRIGUEZ GETS THE KNOCKOUT 😱 #UFCDesMoines pic.twitter.com/5sXYmQykDy the knockout of perennial contender Ponzinibbio wasn’t the only highlight of Rodriguez’s night Making the walk for his 13th UFC appearance Los Angeles’ ‘D-Rod’ said in the post-fight interview he had written and produced his walkout song I got a whole rap career coming,” Rodriguez said post-fight Rodriguez also had a name on his mind he’d like to scrap with next: Jake Matthews Rodriguez said Matthews had been talking trash Home » MMA News » Daniel Rodriguez » UFC Des Moines Results: Daniel Rodriguez stops Santiago Ponzinibbio… We have you covered for all of tonight’s UFC Des Moines results including the welterweight bout between Santiago Ponzinibbio and Daniel Rodriguez Ponzinibbio (30-9 MMA) will be returning to action for the first time since scoring a TKO victory over Carlston Harris this past January in Las Vegas. That win snapped a two-fight losing skid for the ‘Argentine Dagger’, who had previously suffered Octagon defeats to Muslim Salikhov and Kevin Holland respectively Meanwhile, Daniel Rodriguez (19-5 MMA) was most recently seen in action last October, where he scored a split decision win over Alex Morono. That victory snapped a three-fight losing skid for ‘D-Rod’, who had previously suffered setbacks to Neil Magny, Ian Machado Garry and Kevlin Gastelum Veterans collide in the Octagon 😮‍💨@SPonzinibbioMMA vs Daniel Rodriguez [ #UFCDesMoines LIVE NOW on ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/p1UvJJJsyB — UFC (@ufc) May 4, 2025 Round one of this welterweight matchup begins and Daniel Rodriguez gets things started with a stiff jab Santiago Ponzinibbio returns fire with a leg kick of his own ‘D-Rod’ looks quite a bit bigger than ‘Ponz’ this evening Both men appear happy to stand and strike early The ‘Argentine Dager’ with a hard inside low kick Daniel Rodriguez continues to go to the body with his punches Santiago Ponzinibbio with another good inside low kick ‘D-Rod’ with a left hook in return Rodriguez looks to come forward with punches An overhand right falls short for Santiago Ponzinibbio He attempts to shoot for a takedown but it is not there Daniel Rodriguez jumps on him with a left hook as he returns to his feet Round two of this welterweight matchup begins and Daniel Rodriguez immediately lands a jab and then a low kick Santiago Ponzinibbio with a nice right to the body ‘D-Rod’ with a left to the mid-section A right hook and then a low kick from the Argentine The fighters continue to trade small combos Santiago Ponzinibbio shoots in for a takedown but ‘D-Rod’ shakes that off with relative ease He shoots in again but once again the American defends the shot ‘D-Rod’ is breathing a little heavy now Santiago seems to sense it and is now applying a lot of pressure He’s swinging big shots but struggling to find the range Another takedown attempt and this time ‘Ponz’ gets it done The third and final round of this welterweight contest begins and Santiago Ponzinibbio comes forward with a 1-2 and then a low kick Daniel Rodriguez definitely appears to be slowing down here but ‘Ponz’ cracks him with a low kick WOOOW! Daniel Rodriguez finishes Santiago Ponzinibbio in round 3!! #UFCDesMoines pic.twitter.com/vZ32qvLI6P — Haduucken III (@HaduuckenIII) May 4, 2025 Daniel Rodriguez earns the 3rd round TKO 👏 [ #UFCDesMoines LIVE NOW on ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/OoCU9Cmiis — UFC (@ufc) May 4, 2025 DANIEL RODRIGUEZ GETS THE KNOCKOUT 😱 #UFCDesMoines pic.twitter.com/5sXYmQykDy — ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 4, 2025 Official UFC Des Moines Results: Daniel Rodriguez def Santiago Ponzinibbio via TKO (punch) in Round 3 Who would you like to see Rodriguez fight next following his TKO victory over Ponzinibbio this evening in Iowa This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM BJPENN.COM is your premier source for all MMA and UFC News We serve you with the latest breaking news It is also the home of 2X UFC Hall of Fame Champion After a decade of on-line operation BJP has evolved into the most reliable destination for all of your MMA needs contact@bjpenn.com advertising@freestar.com 2025 BJ Penn Enterprises Privacy Policy 2024 BJ Penn Enterprises Privacy Policy If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement Cory Sandhagen did everything in his power Saturday to prove he deserves a bantamweight title shot In the UFC Des Moines main event, Sandhagen dominated two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and looked like he was cruising to a decision victory or a clean finish when the bout was stopped just before the end of Round 2 due to a Figueiredo injury there should be no question Sandhagen is worthy of a championship shot some great listener picks to round out an otherwise dreary combat sports weekend and wherever you find your favorite podcasts Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main card at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines IA followed a similar flow to the preliminary card slate gradually building to a crescendo in the final series of bouts to arrive in the Octagon Mason Jones and Jeremy Stephens opened the action with two rounds of brawling before Jones shifted to wrestling to salt away a win in his return to the UFC before bantamweights Serhiy Sidey and Montel Jackson earned unanimous decision victories of their own in solid efforts against Cameron Smotherman and Daniel Marcos veteran welterweight Daniel Rodriguez collected a thunderous third-round stoppage win over Santiago Ponzinibbio to secure his second straight victory with Reinier de Ridder upping the ante in the co-main event by finishing Bo Nickal early in the second bouncing him from the ranks of the unbeaten in the process while collecting his third straight UFC finish MORE: Prelim Results | Official Scorecards | Watch Replay On ESPN+ Cory Sandhagen earned a statement win over Deiveson Figueiredo dominating the action throughout before the Brazilian suffered a knee injury while locked in a grappling entanglement with the talented American It was an eventful night inside the Octagon with some emphatic efforts and you can get everything you need to know about Saturday’s main card matchups below Cory Sandhagen closed out the UFC’s return to Iowa with a tremendous performance against Deiveson Figueiredo dominating the action before the Brazilian suffered a knee injury in the midst of a scramble late in the second round 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 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+ Reinier de Ridder made a statement in Des Moines, finishing Bo Nickal early in the second round to announce himself as a serious threat in the middleweight division The Dutchman used a steady diet of shots in the midsection to chip away at the gas tank of the unbeaten prospect 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 de Ridder folded him over with one more stepping knee to the liver 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 Daniel Rodriguez secured a massive third-round stoppage win over fellow veteran Santiago Ponzinibbio to pick up his second consecutive victory and start his 2025 campaign with a statement effort “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 mixing in takedown attempts with better offensive effectiveness Rodriguez connected with a three-punch combination that put Ponzinibbio on the deck 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 Montel Jackson continued his winning ways, collecting his sixth straight victory while bouncing Daniel Marcos from the ranks of the unbeaten in a low-output 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 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 Serhiy Sidey picked up his second consecutive victory inside the Octagon on Saturday, delivering a well-rounded and professional performance against a game Cameron Smotherman The Ukranian-born Canadian was the more active and effective of the two throughout doing well to offer more value and more variety while mixing in takedowns and initiating clinch situations Smotherman came out more aggressively in the third but the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate did well to weather the initial rush All three judges scored the fight in favor of the DWCS alum 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 Mason Jones and Jeremy Stephens teamed up for the back-and-forth slugfest most anticipated as soon as this fight was announced to kick off the main card as both men made their returns to the Octagon 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 The Fights & Performances That Warranted An Extra $50,000 In 2025 Find Start Times And Fight Card Info For UFC 315 Live From Bell Centre in Montreal  Watch Every Episode Of UFC 315 Embedded Before The Fights Go Down On May 10 In Montreal Deiveson Figueiredo is keeping positive following his most recent career setback The former UFC flyweight champion got injured and suffered a TKO defeat to Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC on ESPN 67 which took place Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines Being in a 50/50 leg lock position in Round 2 Figueiredo injured his left knee and immediately waived for the fight to be stopped There's no diagnosis or further details on the extent of his injury Figueiredo took to Instagram to address his defeat but the fight goes on," Figueiredo wrote in Portuguese I'm a warrior and this is just another chapter of my story!" Figueiredo finds himself on a two-fight skid He lost a unanimous decision to Petr Yan this past November It's the first time in his career the Brazilian has had consecutive defeats was on a three-fight wining streak in the start to his bantamweight run after moving up from flyweight The Iowa Department of Transportation will close part of Interstate 80 in Polk County beginning the night of May 5 Drivers traveling westbound on I-80 will encounter closed lanes and need a detour crews will close the driving lanes on westbound I-80 between the U.S Highway 65 interchange near Altoona and the northeast mixmaster in Des Moines a construction engineer for the Iowa DOT's Grimes office Crews will be removing an overhead sign truss The interstate is scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m drivers will follow the marked detour route The route instructs westbound drivers to drive around the closure by exiting at the U.S Drivers will use Hubbell and Euclid avenues to reach Interstate 235 Drivers wanting to rejoin I-80 can continue north through the mixmaster or connect to Interstate 35 as well Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth And Santiago Ponzinibbio, who was stopped via strikes by Daniel Rodriguez (highlights) which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover Bo Nickal Unfortunately for Nickal, he fell flat in the biggest fight of his career And that’s all because de Ridder showed him that there are indeed levels to this game the former ONE double-champion had his way with Nickal leaving him bewildered as to what to do when things got hot In the second round, “The Dutch Knight” once again put the pressure on and started tagging Nickal at-will, ultimately hurting him with one devastating knee after another until one found the liver sweet spot sending the former three-time NCAA Division 1 wrestling champion down to the canvas in defeat “Grateful for the highs and lows,” Nickal wrote in a short social media post it was a hard lesson to learn in suffering his first-ever defeat and will now have to hear the endless criticism from all the people who felt he was over-hyped and predicted he would lose once he faced a tough challenge At least he still has this guy backing him Nickal will have to literally go back to the drawing board and fix what needs fixing. And judging by Saturday’s performance, there’s a lot he needs to work on if he ever wants to be truly successful in the fight game. De Ridder is legit, but he is not the cream of the crop in a division full of sharks is still very young in the sport and has the time to get sharper Since making his Octagon debut in March 2023 so perhaps fighting a bit more frequently is a good start As far as what could potentially be next for him perhaps a fight against Chris Curtis is in order Curtis has had a pretty rough stretch of late losing two straight fights at the hands of Brendan Allen and Roman Kopylov It would be an obvious step back for Nickal He’s got to catch up For complete UFC Des Moines results, coverage and highlights click HERE If you are the site owner (or you manage this site), please whitelist your IP or if you think this block is an error please open a support ticket and make sure to include the block details (displayed in the box below) so we can assist you in troubleshooting the issue The week of April 27-May 3 was another one filled with action for Des Moines metro-area high school female athletes Girls track and field teams continued to work toward getting best times and distances in the week between the Drake Relays and state qualifying meets There were several exciting girls soccer games and area girls golfers and tennis players also stepped up their game with the postseason rapidly approaching Here are the Des Moines Register's female Athlete of the Week candidates from the Des Moines metro area for the week of April 27-May 3 DesMoinesRegister.com readers vote to determine the winners who will be announced at the end of the week Hofbauer did an excellent job distributing the soccer ball for the Class 2A No 2 Dallas Center-Grimes' girls soccer team during a 10-0 victory at Newton on April 29 Hofbauer dished out three assists during the Mustangs' victory Fair had a strong night on offense for the Class 3A No 3 Ankeny Centennial girls soccer team during a 4-0 victory over Kaneland (Ill.) on May 2 at the Bettendorf Tournament of Champions in Bettendorf Fair got off four shots on goal and she pulled off a hat-trick for the Jaguars by putting three goals into the net Waukee NorthwestWiig was the individual medalist during the Waukee Northwest girls golf team's 166-183 victory over Dowling Catholic in a nine-hole dual meet at the Willow Creek Golf Course in West Des Moines Wiig shot a 39 during the meet to beat teammate Lola Minnick by one stroke for medalist and she also joined up with teammate Sophie Schmitz to win the No 1 doubles match during the Ankeny girls tennis team's 11-0 victory over Southeast Polk on April 29 Francel swept Southeast Polk's Addison Bartles in straight sets Francel and Schmitz took down the Rams' team of Bartles and Kylie Ciesielski by scores of 6-2 and 6-0 Coghlan won both the 100 and 400-meter hurdle races and she also helped Adel-Desoto-Minburn take first in the shuttle hurdle relay during the Tiger Invitational girls track and field meet on April 29 at Adel Coghlan won the 100 hurdles in 14.96 seconds and the 400 hurdles in 1:03.65 She ran the third leg on the ADM shuttle hurdle team that clocked in at 1:02.51 Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman Home » MMA News » Cory Sandhagen » Does Cory Sandhagen deserve UFC bantamweight title shot after… Cory Sandhagen believes he’s closer than ever to securing a UFC title opportunity Sandhagen went one-on-one with former UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo this past Saturday The bantamweight tilt headlined UFC Des Moines inside Wells Fargo Arena The bout ended in the second round after Figueiredo suffered a knee injury which Sandhagen believes he caused by getting the better of his opponent in a leg lock position and he’s calling for a chance to prove he’s ready to hold UFC gold RELATED: CORY SANDHAGEN FIRMLY BELIEVES HE CAUSED DEIVESON FIGUEIREDO’S KNEE INJURY IN UFC DES MOINES WIN During the UFC Des Moines post-fight press conference, Cory Sandhagen expressed his belief that he should receive a crack at the UFC Bantamweight Championship (via MMAJunkie.com) The next bantamweight title fight is scheduled for June 7 Titleholder Merab Dvalishvili will defend the gold in a rematch against Sean O’Malley at UFC 316 in Newark Dvalishvili defeated O’Malley to capture the bantamweight gold at UFC 306 back in Sept Sandhagen fought Dvalishvili’s teammate Sandhagen lost the fight via first-round submission The door might be open for Sandhagen to get that title shot 2-ranked Petr Yan has losses against both Dvalishvili and O’Malley Yan does have a unanimous decision win over Sandhagen Time will tell what the UFC brass ultimately decide to do with the bantamweight title picture after UFC 316 fans eagerly anticipate the rematch between “The Machine” and “Sugar.” The school year is almost over, and many restaurants and retailers are offering deals to educators across the United States during National Teacher Appreciation Week Here's what you need to know about National Teacher Appreciation Week and what local and national businesses have deals and specials for teachers National Teacher Appreciation Week runs from May 5 to May 9, with National Teacher Day observed on Tuesday, May 6. The U.S. is one of nine other countries that celebrate educators during May How many teachers are there in Iowa?There were 37,982 full-time public school teachers and 1,473 private school teachers in Iowa during the 2023-24 school year, according to Iowa's latest Condition of Education report. Buffalo Wild Wings is taking 20% off the bill for teachers and school staff through Tuesday Through May 13, teachers — and healthcare workers (it's also National Nurse Appreciation Week) — can sign up online to be among the 100,000 teachers and 100,000 healthcare workers to be randomly selected to win a free burrito Those selected will get an email to verify their employment status via ID.me; as long as they verify within 48 hours they get a free burrito e-card Happy Joe’s: 20% off pizza for teachersTeachers get 20% off their order at participating Happy Joe's locations during the week by showing a valid school ID Teachers (and nurses) can get a free classic cookie from Tuesday Teachers get a free big tea May 5-12 in-store at participating locations with their badge or ID. Offer valid in-store only. Teachers can also enter to win a catered lunch for up to 30 by completing an online entry form Through May 9, teachers can get one free cupcake at Molly's Cupcakes in Des Moines by showing a valid school ID Potbelly: Free cookie or fountain drink for teachersThe sandwich shop is offering a complimentary cookie or regular-sized fountain drink with the purchase of any entrée to all teachers through May 11 and teachers must present their ID to redeem the free item Smoothie King: Teachers get 20% offTeachers get 20% off their in-store order May 6-8 when they show their valid working ID. To find a Smoothie King near you, visit locations.smoothieking.com More: Teacher Appreciation Week 2025: See deals, free food and discounts for educators the fast-food chain has three exclusive deals for members of the Sonic Teachers’ Circle rewards program: a free Sonic Snack or side with purchase and a $1.99 Quarter Pound Double Cheeseburger To join the free rewards program, download the Sonic app (then create an account teachers can get 20% off their in-store purchase with a valid teacher ID They can also get a free 12-pack of Tru Red Stick Pens (one per customer while supplies last; find the coupons in the Staples app) USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider contributed to this report A haven for exotic car fans is listed for sale in the often-overlooked suburb of Cumming 3,564-square-foot property is equally suitable for new owners with an enthusiasm for entertaining family and friends in style The home is located within the private Greenbrier Estates an upscale development that features a beach and stocked lake Realtor Brett Fine noted even locals sometimes have a challenging time geographically placing Cumming on their mental maps and the area’s partially rural setting can fly under the radar despite its advantageous position as part of the West Des Moines School district and located less than a 15-minute drive from major retail hubs the home’s original 1989 exterior façade and interior layout have been updated in recent years to create a bright and modern environment that Fine described as an elaborate imported chandelier welcomes guests The lower-level footprint includes an open-plan layout and a sunken living space “adds a little bit of character.” The kitchen remodels now include quartz countertops tile floors and improvements to the cabinetry and appliances Diners can opt for a formal dining space or casual seating around the kitchen island four bedrooms are headlined by a spacious primary bedroom upgraded with an estimated $200,000 budget “one of the largest I've been in,” Fine added plus its own outdoor patio and a bathroom with heated tile flooring On the 1,330-square-foot finished lower level a gym could be converted into a second home office space The large kitchen and easy access to the outdoor 1,400-square-foot patio with a wood-burning fireplace were planned to inspire family gatherings and to entertain friends Although the backyard is missing a water feature “There is ample room for somebody to add their own dream pool.” While the house already offers an attached three-car garage one of the home’s highlights resides inside a separate building at the rear of the property appropriately dubbed the “car studio” by the current owner the 1,350-square-foot structure is wired with a dedicated audio system and adds polished floors and glass windows in roll-up-doors to showcase the collection But if the next owners are not car enthusiasts Fine noted the studio already includes a three-quarter bathroom to simplify a bedroom conversion or to set up “an art studio Fine expressed surprise Cumming is frequently neglected by many home hunters You've got the beautiful drive out to the property by the Dale Maffitt Reservoir,” he said “And then the Greenbrier Estates has its own private pond and a private beach You can canoe or kayak out there if you want People cruise by on golf carts in the summertime The home is listed at $1,525,000 by Brett Fine with The Fine Group at RE/MAX Concepts Contact him at 515-314-8673 for more information and a private showing Richard Lane is a freelance writer for the Des Moines Register. If you have a home we should feature, reach out to Susan Stapleton at sstapleton@gannett.com you may be looking for things to do with your family Try some of these family-friendly activities across Iowa Summer bucket list: Try these things to do in Iowa for summer 2025 Spend a day or two at the Adventureland theme park in Altoona, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Take a ride on the Tornado, a roller coaster landmark and the park's oldest ride or try something newer with the Flying Viking Escape the summer heat by playing games of skeeball and Pac-Man at one of Iowa's arcades. There are several in the metro, including Up-Down which opens its doors to families one Sunday a month from 10 a.m Des Moines Performing Arts will host the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus The free shows will take place at parks around the Des Moines metro area Watch a drive-in movieCheck out the latest summer blockbuster at Valle Drive-In The Newton drive-in offers double features every night during the summer Other drive-in movie theaters are in Blue Grass There are plenty of free and paid activities and attractions for families at the Iowa State Fair The Little Hands on the Farm exhibit allows children ages 2-10 to experience life on a farm by completing chores and selling livestock at the farmers' market. Families can also race each other on the iconic Giant Slide More: What are the Iowa State Fair Grandstand 2025 concerts? Here's who's coming to the stage Play bags and other lawn games at Smash ParkPlay pickleball while grabbing a drink and a bite to eat at the 47,000-square-foot facility in West Des Moines Head to Knoxville to race go-karts at Slideways. The track is roughly a mile from the Knoxville Raceway and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum Slideways also serves food and has a miniature golf course The Iowa Children’s Museum is a place for kids to play and learn at the same time the museum features 18 permanent exhibits with a focus on arts & culture the National Farm Toy Museum shows families how far toys and farm equipment have evolved over the last 100 years The museum features exhibits and a children's play area Visit the Oskaloosa Sweet Corn SerenadeTravel to Oskaloosa in July for the 38th-annual Sweet Corn Serenade and pies will be provided by the Mahaska County Cattlemen and Jaarsma Bakery petting zoo and pedal pull along with live music Rail Explorers in Boone offers riders a unique way to experience the scenic landscapes of the Des Moines River Valley Riders can travel on a 12.5-mile round trip via a pedal-assisted rail bike with Rail Explorers offering nighttime and early morning tours Sky Zone Trampoline Park and Get Air Trampoline Park in the metro offer activities for various age groups the Des Moines staple will be open for its 2025 season from May to October Dive into a water parkMany Iowa towns have their own outdoor aquatic parks or you can visit a large-scale waterpark like Adventure Bay at Adventureland in Altoona or Lost Island in Waterloo More: USA TODAY ranked this Iowa water park among the best in the country. Which one is it? The Wells Visitor Center gives fans of ice cream a chance to learn about how it gets from the farm to the grocery store. Located in Le Mars, the visitor center and ice cream parlor is operated by Wells Enterprises the Iowa-based maker of Blue Bunny Ice Cream See animals of all shapes and sizes at Des Moines' Blank Park Zoo Or head to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Prairie City for driving tours where you have a good chance of spotting a bison or an elk To listen to Dominic Iannarelli talk about beef is like sitting in a PhD-level course on the ins and outs of Japanese breeds of cattle comparing cuts of steaks that are best for tasting the richness of the beef and dissecting the tasting notes of grassfed vs Now diners at his West Des Moines ode to steak and seafood Prime & Providence can sample flights of Japanese and American beef The flights showcase the best beef available which includes hard-to-find Nakimi beef from Japan is part of Prime & Providence’s first anniversary The steakhouse officially turns one on May 13 Find out what’s new on the steakhouse’s menu as the restaurant embarks on year two The flight contains three 3-ounce portions of certified A5 Japanese wagyu a cut that some describe as one of the best Diners can add a 3-ounce Kobe striploin for $100 “You can taste these very fun nuances,” Iannarelli said Diners also have options to order 6-ounce portions of each cut for $150 each for the Omi and Shimane or $110 for the Kagoshima is one of the rarest Japanese beefs consumers can find in the United States the West Des Moines steakhouse from Iannarelli To give you an idea of how rare Namiki beef is a high-end Japanese beef that many Americans know by name About 2,800 to 3,200 Kobe cattle from multiple farms go on the market every year resulting in about 2,000 head going on the market yearly That 3-ounce cut can go on any order as an add-on for $60 “We’re not going to put it on the flight because we’ll sell out too quickly,” he said More: Here are 15 of the best steakhouses in the Des Moines metro for prime rib, steak de Burgo You consider that it’s probably enough to for sure feed two it really makes it no more (expensive) than any steak And you can really taste the difference,” Iannarelli said The flight includes three 7-ounce servings of beef The house center cut is dry aged for 28 days The certified angus is a 40-day dry-aged cut “We purposely pick these to be very deliberately different and it’s kind of interesting what people gravitate toward,” Iannarelli said “You get a lot of feedback that they like the grass fed one the most and then the other two are probably 50-50.” More: Prime & Providence unleashes its menu of high-end steaks and seafood in West Des Moines Iannarrelli initially thought he’d only offer the dinner for two through April “We can see after the first three weeks doing it that it’s gonna be going on for at least 2025,” he said Starter options include grilled halloumi salad with prosciutto and Champagne-poached pears a wedge salad with bacon and Maytag bleu cheese crumbles order a 12-ounce filet mignon or 16-ounce rib-eye steak but you can find everything from Brussels sprouts to roasted wild mushrooms Dessert features a Basque cheesecake or seasonal sorbet You can nab ice cream drinks such as a brandy Alexander or perfect grasshopper for an additional $15 Order the Sunday dinner for two from 3 to 9 p.m Iannarelli added hot dog towers to the menu for special occasions He saves the scraps from cutting down the aged New York strips and grinds that into the hot dogs is 100% beef tenderloin and spices in a natural case that’s smoked in house He also has an all-beer cheddar wurst made in house and a wagyu beef version Where to find Prime & ProvidenceLocation: 595 60th St. Contact: 515-644-6805 or primeandprovidence.com Hours: Open daily for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Sign up for our new dining newsletter, The Dish, which comes out on Wednesday mornings with all the latest news on restaurants and bars in the metro. You can sign up for free at DesMoinesRegister.com/thedish If you see a new restaurant opening or a beloved place closing, send me some details at sstapleton@gannett.com There was also still plenty of regional MMA action scheduled on Saturday as well including Hexagone MMA 28 in The Netherlands and Eternal MMA 95 in Australia READ MORE: Cory Sandhagen says one adjustment could see Sean O'Malley regain title at UFC 316 / (Hexagone MMA)8-Second KO At Eternal MMA 95One of Australia’s top regional promotions along with HEX Fight Series Eternal MMA headed to the Logan Entertainment Center in Logan City South East Queensland on Saturday for a card that included a matchup between promotional veteran Khan Deatta and the debuting Chilli Surapan Kancharlee Deatta came into the night with quite a bit of momentum after scoring three first-round finishes last year, but Kancharlee made a statement in his MMA debut when he ended things with a massive left hook in just 8 seconds (clip courtesy of the one and only @Grabaka_Hitman) Chili Surapun Kancharee with one of the fastest KOs in Eternal MMA history this morning. 8 second left hook against Khan Deatta #EternalMMA95 pic.twitter.com/3w6jqfWdUx An 8-second knockout is the kind of thing that you might not see topped in an entire month of combat sports action but later in the day a featherweight bout at Hexagone MMA 28 at Sportcampus Zuiderpark in Den Haag Netherlands produced an even faster finish READ MORE: UFC fighter hides in dog crate after attacking girlfriend Entering the night after a 6-2 amateur career, Stefano Groenendaal only needed five seconds to secure his first pro victory when he flattened Belgium’s Maynard van Laer with a perfect right hand (clip courtesy of the great @NeoValeTudo) Stefano Groenendaal KO1 Maynard Van Laer - Hex 28 pic.twitter.com/fP8f8fIfWn The lightning-quick finishes from Groenendaal and Kancharlee were incredibly impressive ways for both men to kick off their respective pro careers and they immediately made the short list of best finishes for the week even before UFC Des Moines goes down at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines Stick with MMAKnockout for more FREE coverage of the UFC Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram DREW BEAUPREDrew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home is assisting the family Online condolences may be left at caldwellparrish.com Sandy Koenen (Scott) and Jeremy Hoffman (Sarah): and many nieces and nephews Iowa for tonight's UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs The event is headlined by a bantamweight bout between No. 4 ranked Cory Sandhagen and former flyweight champion and No. 5 ranked bantamweight Deiveson Figueiredo Both fighters will enter Saturday's main event coming off a loss. Sandhagen lost to Umar Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision last August The loss snapped a three-fight winning streak Figueiredo was defeated by former bantamweight titleholder Petr Yan in his last fight He moved up to the 135-pound weight class after losing the flyweight title in January 2023 He reeled off three consecutive wins before losing to Yan By MMAWeekly Editor – I started working at MMAWeekly.com in 2002 and have covered mixed martial arts for 23 years.  and it's time to start plotting out your Iowa vacations and road trips The Des Moines Register has gathered dozens of 2025 vacation ideas ranging from free activities shopping to tips for foodies or sports fans Iowa will have no shortage of things to do near you this summer Explore our lists and be sure to sign up for Off Hours, our free weekly newsletter at DesMoinesRegister.com/OffHours Our Iowa summer guides are organized into six categories to help you narrow in on the ideas that will most appeal to you Bookmark this page for more ideas in the coming days or to revisit for suggestions all summer long 14 outdoor activities to do in Iowa this summerIf you're looking to celebrate summer by heading outdoors We've got suggestions ranging from disc golf to caves and river floats Browse the whole list: 14 outdoor activities to do in Iowa this summer Browse the full list: Need vacation ideas for kids? 16 things to do this summer with your family in Iowa. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has sued the Des Moines Register to block what she says are overly intrusive record requests from Register reporters filed April 25 in Polk County District Court asserts that several records the Register sought under Iowa's open-records law are subject to "executive privilege," a legal doctrine protecting a government executive's right to obtain candid advice from advisers without fear of public disclosure While federal courts have recognized executive privilege for the American presidency Iowa's open-record law does not include an executive privilege exemption Reynolds spokesman Mason Mauro said in a press release announcing the lawsuit that protecting executive privilege is in the "public interest." “We are confident that the judicial branch will recognize that governors have a constitutional executive privilege in Iowa, just as they recognized a legislative privilege last year and have used a deliberative privilege to protect the communications of Iowa Supreme Court justices," he said Register request for emails touches on legal caseThe root of the dispute began Feb. 5, when Reynolds testified before the U.S House Oversight Committee on the topic of government efficiency A week later, she clarified that she "absolutely" did not believe those allegations are true Lutheran Services of Iowa flatly denied the allegations with President and CEO Renee Hardman saying "Lutheran Services in Iowa has been around for 160 years performing services that are highly regulated through federal contracts." Democrats also have condemned the accusations the Register filed a record requests on Feb 11 seeking emails from several senior Reynolds advisers that mentioned the Lutheran Services controversy Reynolds' office ultimately produced more than 800 pages in response to the request each with the subject "Media Prep Doc," under an asserted executive privilege Reynolds was not copied on the withheld emails according to a log provided by Reynolds' office wrote to dispute the claim of executive privilege and asked that the four emails be turned over by April 25 the Iowa Legislature has had ample opportunity to incorporate 'executive privilege' as a legitimate defense within the open-records law," Elgin wrote in a letter filed as an exhibit with Reynolds' complaint "The absence of such an amendment unmistakably indicates the Legislature's intent to exclude this basis from the law." Reynold's office filed Friday's lawsuit in response seeking a court injunction to block the Register's request Reynolds argues that executive privilege derives from the Iowa Constitution not the much-more-recent Iowa public records law and is inherent to the separation of powers "Narrow privileges guaranteed by the Iowa Constitution’s Separation-of-Powers Clause are vital to ensure that elected officials can speak candidly with senior advisors or constituents without fear of their communications being disclosed," the complaint states Hours after Reynolds announced her lawsuit the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa announced its own suit against Reynolds challenging a different claim of executive privilege to withhold records The ACLU is representing Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers, which is seeking records related to the state's decision to cancel a planned holiday display by the Iowa Satanic Temple in the state capitol last year The lawsuit was reportedly filed Friday afternoon but the complaint was not immediately available from online court records the ACLU says Reynolds' office cited executive privilege in withholding "clearly non-privileged" records the Iowa Open Records Act has ensured that the work of the state happens in the open," ACLU attorney Thomas Story said in a statement the governor’s office has decided it alone gets to decide what the public sees The Iowa Constitution does not give it this authority."  The ACLU has challenged Reynolds over public record requests before. In 2023, it represented several journalists in a case that led the Iowa Supreme Court to find Reynolds' failure to promptly respond to requests had violated state law (This story was updated to add new information William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166 Whirlpool Corp. has announced it is letting go of 651 workers from its manufacturing facility in Amana, effective June 1, in the largest single Iowa layoff since Tyson Foods last spring shut down its 1,200-worker pork plant in Perry A statement from Whirlpool blamed the layoffs on reduced consumer demand “This is really about aligning to current market conditions driven by consumer demand particularly as it relates to the some of the appliances (refrigeration) made in Amana,” the statement said The layoff will affect nearly one-third of the company’s workforce of 2,000 employees in Amana. Whirlpool has $17 billion in annual sales and 44,000 employees worldwide The company said it is “committed to supporting affected employees through this transition by providing access to onsite HR support and a dedicated employee support line and guidance on unemployment benefits through Iowa Workforce Development." Iowa Workforce Development in its recent report on February unemployment noted that manufacturing has shed the most jobs of any sector over the last 12 months in Iowa were from companies that make durable goods — a sector that include appliances Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner of Iowa City responded to the layoff announcement with a statement Tuesday decrying Republican-led cuts in Iowa unemployment compensation and blaming Republican policies for economic turmoil on-again-off-again tariffs are exacerbating existing issues and Iowans hardly go a week without seeing another round of layoffs.” the International Association of Machinists "This is a community that relies heavily on good IAM Union jobs that help sustain thousands of families in the Amana area We are working together with our members to ensure that the company respects our membership’s rights throughout this process We are also reaching out to local stakeholders and elected officials to secure any support possible for our membership The IAM Union will continue to work to mitigate the impacts of this announcement and maintain the job security of all our members at Whirlpool.” Whirlpool stock has declined almost 65% from its five-year high of $252.95 It was trading at $90.85 around midday Tuesday In a news release accompany a disappointing Whirlpool earnings report in January Whirlpool chair and CEO Marc Bitzer said the company would look to cut $200 million in costs "and position our business for the eventual U.S The Amana brand was founded in 1934 by George Foerstner in Middle Amana and was credited with many firsts in the appliance industry, including the first upright freezer in 1947, the first side-by-side refrigerator in 1949 and the first consumer microwave, the famous Radarange, in 1967, according to the Amana brand website The Amana brand name was sold to Goodman Manufacturing in 1997 and then again to Maytag in 2002 Whirlpool acquired the Amana brand name in 2006 through its purchase of Maytag Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced on social media Friday she will not seek reelection to another term — an unexpected move that resets the state's political landscape ahead of a 2026 midterm election year "Today, I want to share a personal decision with you. One that was not made lightly, but comes with a full heart and a deep sense of gratitude," she said in a simple, straight-to-camera video I have decided that I will not seek re-election in 2026." noted in the video that her family has supported her "through every challenge and every victory." it’s time for me to be there for them," she said "To help them through the next stage of life To watch every track meet and basketball game; to see them grow before they’re all grown That doesn’t mean I’m slowing down just yet I’ll be working hard for you every single day until my term ends." Reynolds' husband, Kevin, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023, although she told reporters in 2024 he was doing well after receiving treatment Reynolds began her career in public service as a clerk in the Clarke County Treasurer’s Office and then was elected county treasurer Terry Branstad as his lieutenant governor beginning in 2011 and she succeeded him to the top post in 2017 after he resigned to serve in President Donald Trump's first administration as ambassador to China She became Iowa's first female governor and won election to her first full term in 2018 She was reelected in a landslide victory in 2022 From the archive: Kim Reynolds becomes Iowa's first female governor Kim Reynolds transformed Iowa through tax code education policy and moreReynolds has overseen transformational change in Iowa during her tenure as governor education system and executive branch structure Reynolds has also signed laws eliminating Iowa’s inheritance tax making retirement income tax-free and cutting corporate and property taxes Reynolds has boasted that the tax cuts she has signed into law will reduce Iowans’ taxes by $24 billion over a decade Her changes to Iowa’s education system have been just as significant The centerpiece of Reynolds’ education agenda is a universal “school choice” law that makes every Iowa family eligible for thousands of dollars of taxpayer-funded scholarships to pay for private school expenses Reynolds finally signed the law in 2023 after a three-year battle with reluctant House Republicans that saw the governor work to oust several sitting GOP lawmakers by endorsing their primary challengers Reynolds has worked for years to cut down the size of state government, signing into law a reorganization of the state’s executive branch in 2023 that slashed the number of cabinet-level agencies from 37 to 16 eliminated hundreds of open positions and gave the governor more direct control over executive branch employees The next year, she signed a law eliminating dozens of state boards and commissions She's also made strides in limiting abortion access in the state and removing civil rights protections for transgender Iowans Reynolds seemed to find her footing as governor through the COVID-19 pandemic. She told the Des Moines Register in a 2023 interview that she emerged both more confident and more willing to stand firm under intense scrutiny and pressure “I came out a different governor,” she said The pandemic claimed the lives of more than 10,000 Iowans Reynolds seemed to reach the peak of her political power following the pandemic and the 2022 elections But she took a risk endorsing a candidate ahead of the 2024 Republican presidential caucuses, putting her thumb on the scale for friend and fellow governor, Ron DeSantis of Florida It earned her the ire of Trump who called her "disloyal" and pledged it would be "the end of her political career." But Reynolds endorsed Trump going into the general election, and she has joined him multiple times in Washington, D.C., to celebrate advancing his agenda Trump has thanked Reynolds for her leadership in the state praise for the governor began pouring in from her Republican allies across the state Reynolds has been a generational leader for our state and party," Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement Iowa now sits as one of the best states in the entire country and Iowa’s future has never been brighter." Randy Feenstra issued a statement congratulating Reynolds saying she "exemplified the endless possibilities of bold Reynolds in the state Senate and working with her to pass the largest income tax cut in state history at the time I saw firsthand her love for Iowa and her devotion to our families and communities," he said More: How Iowa's leaders are reacting after Gov. Kim Reynolds said she won't seek reelection Ashley Hinson called Reynolds "the best governor in America." and I have been blessed by her friendship," she said "The impact she leaves will be immeasurable and countless lives have been made better because of her tireless service I join every Iowan in saying thank you — we are all grateful for your love of Iowa and your dedication to our state." Zach Nunn called Reynolds an "inspiration" both for his own daughters and "girls across our state." "Governor Reynolds led Iowa to prosperity with commonsense solutions from tax cuts to economic growth," he said in a statement "She helped me fight human trafficking & fentanyl in Iowa balance our state’s budget and help make Iowa one of the best places to raise a family." Mariannette Miller-Meeks called Reynolds a "trailblazer." Iowa became one of the best managed states and creating a national model for efficient and effective government," Miller-Meeks said in a statement "And Iowa is now one of the best states to retire in." Democrats in the state have been hoping to strongly contest the governor's race in 2026 particularly in a midterm year when national political dynamics have historically favored the party that doesn't control the White House Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart issued a statement looking forward to the next election cycle “Iowa Republicans’ decade in control of state government has left Iowa 49th in economic growth and with a $900 million budget deficit thanks to taxpayer handouts to special interests and vouchers for wealthy families who already send their kids to private schools," she said voters will get to hold them accountable for taking our state in the wrong direction It’s time to vote for a governor who will put Iowans to work lower costs and support our rural areas.”  Iowa's lone Democrat elected to statewide office is expected to run make a run for governor though he has made no formal announcement Sand announced earlier that he had raised more than $8 million during 2024 giving him a formidable war chest that overshadowed even with Reynolds had raised as an incumbent Boosted by $7 million in donations from his wife and in-laws Sand tallied about $8.6 million in receipts between January and December of last year and he entered 2025 with about $7.5 million in cash on hand In a social media post "Public office is a demanding path in a way that few truly understand," he said Reynolds and her family well in retirement." Iowa House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst said in a statement that “Iowans are ready to turn the page on Kim Reynolds’ legacy of division and politics." Konfrst has said she's considering running for Congress in the 3rd Congressional District there’s a reason Reynolds is the least popular governor in America: Iowans are worse off than they were a decade ago," she said "It’s time for a governor who will build an economy that works for everyone It’s time for a governor who knows that public money is for public schools It’s time for a governor who will bring balance and common sense back to Iowa It’s time for a governor who will put people over politics.” Republican Brad Sherman, a Williamsburg pastor and former state representative, announced in February he would run for governor in 2026 Sherman was an early endorser of Trump ahead of the 2024 GOP presidential caucuses He was expected to run to the political right of Reynolds on issues such as eminent domain and the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic But Reynolds' decision to bow out is expected to open the floodgates to a rush of potential Republican contenders who wouldn't have challenged the incumbent Reynolds for the seat Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird issued a statement congratulating Reynolds and hinting that she would be considering a run herself Bob and I will pray and consider what this decision means for our future," she said in a statement "I appreciate the calls of encouragement I've already received I am committed to continuing my work on behalf of Iowans and to support President Trump as he works to Make America Great Again." Former Trump campaign advisor Chris LaCivita quickly posted to social media encouraging Bird Trump lauded Bird on the night of his 2024 Iowa Caucus win telling the crowd during his victory speech: "She's going to be your governor someday." Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244 Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169 Iowa — About 100 people crowded into the City Hall chambers here Tuesday to press U.S Chuck Grassley on a range of grievances from potential Medicaid cuts to President Donald Trump’s treatment of refugees and immigrants more of an airing of grievances for worked up Iowans than a true question-and-answer session with members of the audience often shouting down and over the soft-spoken senior senator “I’m pissed!” one man shouted as another tried to finish his question of Grassley: “Why won’t you do your job?” Grassley spent about an hour taking questions which spanned a wide range of topics potential cuts to SNAP benefits and Trump’s leadership more generally “I just want to know if you're proud of voting for Trump and what he's doing in office?” one attendee asked Grassley “There’s no president I’ve agreed with 100% of the time,” Grassley responded before quickly moving on to the next question Although the gathering was often acrimonious several attendees thanked Grassley for holding in-person meetings and complained that their U.S House representatives had failed to do the same The National Republican Congressional Committee earlier this year advised its members not to hold in-person town halls as images and videos of disgruntled constituents went viral Ashley Hinson has promised to continue holding in-person town halls despite the NRCC’s guidance although she has not followed through so far Iowa’s other representatives have made promises to continue meeting with Iowans in their districts in other ways More: 'They're not listening': With GOP lawmakers absent, people's town halls channel Iowans' fury Grassley acknowledged the political climate has been charged since Trump took office we got more emails than all of last year,” he told the audience Talking to reporters following the meeting, Grassley said the energy rivals what he saw in 2009 as Congress debated the Affordable Care Act and in 2016 while he was refusing to hold Senate confirmation hearings for Democratic President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Grassley told reporters that if his grandson After Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds surprised observers by announcing she would not seek reelection House Speaker Pat Grassley said he’s “not ruling anything out” when it comes to a possible gubernatorial bid More: House Speaker Pat Grassley one of three Iowa GOP lawmakers not ruling out run for governor it's quite obvious I would support him,” Sen “But he's not concerned about that right now He's concerned about getting this legislative session shut down.” No one aboard a small plane traveling from Iowa survived after it crashed in Brooklyn Park The SOCATA TBM7 plane crashed around 12:20 p.m. in a residential area in Brooklyn Park, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told USA TODAY. The aircraft departed from Des Moines International Airport and was headed to Anoka County-Blaine Airport in Minneapolis before the incident according to the federal government agency According to FlightAware the single-prop plane began its journey in Naples and stopped in Des Moines at around 10:30 a.m It crashed six minutes before its scheduled landing time Brooklyn Park Fire Chief Shawn Conway announced at an afternoon press conference Conway said he did not know how many people were on the plane or their identities The FAA also said it did not know how many people were aboard the plane director of community relations and communications for Naples Municipal Airport said the plane's owner is not a tenant of the airport King said records show the plane arrived there March 22 and departed the day of the crash USA TODAY contacted the Des Moines International Airport and Brooklyn Park Police Department on Saturday but has not received a response Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz commented on the plane crash in an X post around 1 p.m "My team is in touch with local officials on the scene in Brooklyn Park and we are monitoring the situation closely," the former Democratic vice presidential nominee said "Grateful to the first responders answering the call." The involved plane was registered to DGW Enterprises in Edina The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the crash A SOCATA TBM7 is described by Airliners light business and corporate aircraft that originated in France The plane has a max cruising speed of around 345 miles per hour and a max certificated altitude — the highest altitude an aircraft is certified to operate at — of 30,000 feet, according to GlobalAir The possible capacity for the plane includes a pilot and one passenger on the flight deck and up to five people can sit in the main cabin More than 125 of the SOCATA TBM7 aircraft are in service worldwide This story was updated to add new information executive director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Senate as a Democrat focused on improving the lives of working-class Iowans He is the first Iowa Democrat to formally launch a campaign for the seat although others have floated the possibility Sage, 40, is hoping to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who is up for reelection next November. Ernst told reporters in 2024 she intends to seek a third term but she has not formally launched a reelection campaign Sage told the Des Moines Register in an interview that observing and living out the struggles of the working class has motivated him to enter politics “My dad worked double shifts in his factory job and did all he could to support us,” he said “And sometimes we went without birthday presents Sometimes we found other ways to entertain ourselves or whatever I know how hard it is to be a working-class person and just to survive.” Sage said he grew up in a trailer park in Mason City with his dad who worked as a daycare teacher and later became a certified nursing assistant because all I really cared about was trying to play sports,” Sage said the way to be somebody or do something was to join the military Sage said he worked as a mechanic for a while after returning home but missed enlisted life Sage studied journalism and mass communication at Kansas State University through the benefits he received through the GI Bill He said he worked nights as a screen printer to support his family while attending school he moved to Knoxville where he worked in radio serving as a news director and sports director he said he helped small businesses develop radio ads and came to know some of their struggles he’s the executive director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce where he said he’s continuing to work with “mom and pop” businesses Sage said he plans to run a campaign focused on making life easier for the working class through better pay better health care and making life more affordable “These are the people that made this country and continue to make this country,” he said But few of the nation’s current representatives in Congress come from the working class depriving people of true representation that serves their needs “I think a lot of people are just underrepresented,” he said is to work for the working class and the people that make Iowa run.” Sage criticized Ernst’s leadership in the Senate saying she votes along party lines rather than acting in the best interests of Iowans “I think that she's served her party,” he said “She's served billionaires and she's served corporations I don't think she's served Iowans really at all but I don't think she's served veterans very well.” Ernst would be expected to enter the race with a significant advantage in terms of campaign infrastructure financing and the sheer power of incumbency Nonpartisan elections analysts at the Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball say Iowa's U.S And Sage would likely need to make it through a competitive Democratic primary cycle as well. A trio of state legislators — State Sen. Zach Wahls, state Rep. J.D. Scholten and state Rep. Josh Turek — previously told the Des Moines Register they all are considering running for the U.S. Senate “We're going to be working night and day to make sure that we have people that are interested in hearing my story and understanding what we're trying to do,” Sage said “And I think who I am and the story that we have will speak for itself and help generate some donations and some money coming in that way.” He said he plans to hit the ground running “Hopefully the message comes across that Nathan Sage is a candidate that actually listens to us and he's from the working class just like us and he knows what we need to do to make things better,” he said “… I want to be the Democratic candidate that brings people back to the Democratic Party.” When Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Friday she would not seek reelection she potentially opened the floodgates to a rush of potential Republican contenders freshly considering a gubernatorial bid in her place Republican Brad Sherman, previously announced his run for governor in February And at least one other possible candidate was already hinting at a campaign run after Reynolds' announcement on social media Reynolds, 65, became Iowa's first female governor and won election to her first full term in 2018 Here's which Republicans could be contenders for Reynolds' seat Chris LaCivita, a former senior adviser to President Donald Trump, wrote in a post on X shortly after Reynolds' announcement He cited her endorsement of Trump for president in the lead-up to the 2024 Republican caucuses Bird was Trump's highest-profile endorser as other Republicans remained neutral and Reynolds gave her endorsement to Florida Gov Trump himself has suggested Bird would make a good governor When he won the Iowa Caucuses last year, he lauded Bird in his victory speech "She's going to be your governor someday." Bird was first elected to the office in 2022, defeating longtime Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller and becoming the first Republican to hold the seat since 1979. She previously served as the attorney for Fremont and Guthrie counties and as counsel to former Iowa Gov Sherman, a Williamsburg pastor and former state representative, announced in February he would run for governor in 2026 He was an early endorser of Trump ahead of the 2024 GOP presidential caucuses and he was expected to run to the political right of Reynolds on issues such as eminent domain and the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and it was one of those things where everyone thought no one would get 35% and it would probably go to a convention," Sherman said in an interview Friday "But I just focused on my race and my principles just to keep focused on what my vision is for Iowa." Sherman said in his campaign announcement that he plans to focus his campaign on "defending Iowans’ rights against eminent domain abuse promoting family values and returning government to the foundational principles that made America great." Sherman's website also highlights "medical freedom" as a key issue and he promises to sign legislation to reduce emergency powers of the governor and "work to dismantle the bureaucratic swamp that was responsible for the iron hand of tyranny we saw from the medical establishment during COVID." More: Republican governor candidate Brad Sherman explains why he's challenging Kim Reynolds In the immediate aftermath of Reynolds' announcement speculation has begun to swirl in Iowa political circles about other possible contenders to succeed her Among the names that were being floated Friday were a trio of U.S Feenstra represents Iowa's 4th District, the state's most conservative corner. He defeated then-incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve King in 2020 and has easily won reelection since Other potential contenders could include Matt Whitaker Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley Whitaker previously served as interim U.S. attorney general in Trump's first term and was recently confirmed as Trump's ambassador to NATO Naig was an agriculture industry lobbyist before becoming deputy agriculture secretary in 2013, then being elected statewide as agriculture secretary in 2018. He was reelected to a second term in 2022 Grassley has helped preside over a series of election cycles that grew the Iowa House's majority to its largest margin in more than 50 years Sabine Martin covers politics for the Register She can be reached by email at sabine.martin@gannett.com or by phone at (515) 284-8132 UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SANDHAGEN vs FIGUEIREDO takes place Sat., May 3 at Wells Fargo Arena. The entire card will be available on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast on ESPN+ in English and Spanish starting with the prelims at 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT The main card will then kick off at 10 pm ET / 7 pm PT Order UFC 315: Muhammad vs Della Maddalena All other bouts scheduled for three rounds Main Event - Bantamweight Bout: Cory Sandhagen (135.5) vs Deiveson Figueiredo (135)   Co-Main Event - Middleweight Bout: Reinier de Ridder (185.5) vs Bo Nickal (185.5)  Welterweight Bout: Santiago Ponzinibbio (170) vs Daniel Rodriguez (170.5)  Saturday's Full Fight Card Preview Bantamweight Bout: Montel Jackson (136) vs Daniel Marcos (135.5) Bantamweight Bout: Cameron Smotherman (135.5) vs Serhiy Sidey (135.5) Lightweight Bout: Jeremy Stephens (155) vs Mason Jones (155.5) Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Yana Santos (136) vs Miesha Tate (135.5)  Middleweight Bout: Ryan Loder (185.5) vs Azamat Bekoev (185.5)  Women’s Strawweight Bout: Marina Rodriguez (115.5) vs Gillian Robertson (115.5) MORE DES MOINES: Mason Jones Interview | Stephens Back Home | Petrovic Eyes Big Performance | Bo Nickal Interview | RDR Interview | Figueiredo Interview Bantamweight Bout: Gaston Bolanos (135.5) vs Quang Le (135.5)    Heavyweight Bout: Thomas Petersen (250) vs Don’Tale Mayes (259)   Women’s Flyweight Bout: Juliana Miller (126) vs Ivana Petrovic (125.5)  The Australian Dana White’s Contender Series Alumnus Had A Steady As She Prepares To Compete In Her 30th Professional MMA Fight Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate S Former Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo Wants To Get His Bid For A Second Belt Back On Track With A Win At UFC It was Nickal’s first MMA defeat after a dominant run thus far in his career Before making the full-time transition to MMA he was one of the most hyped prospects on the planet after winning NCAA Division I wrestling national championships at Penn State Nickal heard from many trolls and critics on social media Nickal, who recently teased future matchups against the likes of Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis, showed he still has a ways to go to compete against the top middleweights. Before UFC Des Moines, Nickal was heavily criticized for his unanimous decision win over Paul Craig at UFC 309 in November Nickal was one of several prominent undefeated fighters to suffer their first losses in 2025 after the immense hype he entered the UFC with he’ll look to overcome one of the few moments of adversity in his combat sports career Despite many voices weighing in on Nickal’s performance the UFC star himself addressed his fans just hours after the event In a cryptic Instagram post Nickal issued his first public remarks since his shocking defeat at UFC Des Moines After two Dana White’s Contender Series wins, Nickal dominated his early UFC competition, including first-round wins over Jamie Pickett and Val Woodburn He got the call to compete on DWCS after just one professional fight In the aftermath of UFC Des Moines, a former champion suggested that Nickal’s performance showed that he should consider a weight class move. Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling asserted Nickal is small for the middleweight division and he’d be wise to move down to welterweight Nickal has competed at middleweight for his entire MMA career the lowest weight he competed at was 174 lbs at Penn State In contrast, Sterling’s former rival Henry Cejudo gave Nickal a more encouraging message after UFC Des Moines came from a decorated wrestling background before transitioning to MMA As Nickal plots what’s next for him in his career he’s hearing criticism from many sides after UFC Des Moines Nickal’s loss temporarily calms the immense hype associated with his fighting run and he’ll look to bounce back later this year A post shared by Bo Nickal (@nobickal1) NCAA wrestling legend Nickal was brutally knocked out by Reinier De Ridder in the co-main event of UFC Des Moines on Saturday night to lose his unbeaten record This has led to widespread criticism from fans who feel that he was too brash throughout his early run without earning a top spot One moment that seems to symbolise this is a claim he made while speaking to Ariel Helwani that he would be a monstrous favorite in an eventual clash with Chimaev his record will be so impressive that the Swede will pale in comparison During an explosive interview on The MMA Hour back in April of last year following UFC 300, Bo Nickal sensationally claimed that he would ‘rag doll’ Khamzat Chimaev if they fought The undefeated Swede has rarely looked troubled in the octagon to date while Nickal at the time was just starting out the real quote that is doing the rounds on social media is his claim that when they fight he will have been so dominant that Chimaev is a betting underdog to an unprecedented level going into the event “I think he sees what’s coming too,” Nickal said during a perhaps ill-advised interview good for the sport so we’re going to make that fight happen “Who were you fighting at 5-0 bro? Some random dude in Europe. I’m fighting in the UFC at UFC 300 so there’s levels to this I think that people need to get to know me and the more they get to know me the more they’re going to realize that ‘hey I’m that guy’ “There’s nothing that anybody else can do about that I wouldn’t be surprised if when we fight I’m like a -1000 favorite same as I have been in all these other fights.” The audacity of his comments about Chimaev has led to Nickal taking a lot of abuse from fans on social media. They continue to use the term ‘fraud checked’ to describe his loss, despite the fact that he was taking on a decorated ONE Championship double-champion. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MMA Uncensored ™️ (@mmauncensored__) “I see a lot of ‘don’t be so harsh on Bo Nickal I don’t understand the hate’ right now on here,” wrote YouTuber MMA Guru on X “People are completely ignoring the reality of why Bo said SO much about top contenders man…” Another fan added: “Problem with this kind of confidence is when you lose you become an absolute laughing stock.” Saturday night’s UFC return to the state of Iowa started off with a pair of grappling-heavy decisions resulting in an entertaining run to close out the preliminary card slate After Juliana Miller and Thomas Petersen used their superior grappling skills to collect much-needed wins over Ivana Petrovic and Don’Tale Mayes Quang Le wrestled Gaston Bolanos to the canvas and choked him all the way out in the second round before Gillian Robertson continued her march forward in the strawweight ranks with a second-round TKO finish of Marina Rodriguez Azamat Bekoev continued to make his case as one of the top newcomers of the year so far with a second straight first-round stoppage win before Yana Santos closed things out with a unanimous decision win over former champ Miesha Tate It was a fun start to the night’s action in Des Moines and we have all the details collected for you below MORE: Main Card Results | Official Scorecards | Watch Replay On ESPN+ Top 15 mainstay Yana Santos looked excellent for the first two rounds before having to play all-out defense in the final round to register a unanimous decision win over returning former champ Miesha Tate in Saturday’s preliminary card finale moving well and busting up Tate with long jabs while doing well to stuff the persistent takedown attempts from the former titleholder Tate secured a takedown early in the third and moved to mount but the Russian veteran wisely gave up her back where she was able to defend the submission attempts and survive to the final horn it was in fact Santos that emerged victorious whose striking looked impressive throughout the first two rounds Main Card Results | Official Scorecards | Watch Replay On ESPN+ Make it two starts and two first-round finishes for Azamat Bekoev, as the Russian ran through TUF winner Ryan Loder on Saturday night Bekoev was able to shut down the first takedown attempt from the American wrestler the Russian began unloading with punishing blows along the fence He punched himself out a little in the initial attempt to find the finish Bekoev connected with a right hand that put Loder on the canvas and prompted referee Gary Copeland to step in and halt the action It’s been an outstanding start to 2025 for the 29-year-old American Top Team representative as he followed up his debut win over Zach Reese at UFC 311 with a second consecutive impressive finish here Bekoev is quickly establishing himself as someone to keep close tabs on going forward in the 185-pound weight class Gillian Robertson continued her ascent up the strawweight ranks, garnering a second-round TKO stoppage win over Marina Rodriguez The 29-year-old was in complete control from the outset spending the majority of the first round working from top position after dragging Rodriguez to the canvas an early takedown landed Robertson in top position again the Canadian climbed into mount and unleashed a torrent of strikes that forced the stoppage Robertson has now won four straight and five of six since returning to the 115-pound weight class establishing herself as an ascending threat She’s grown by leaps and bounds since first arriving on the biggest stage in the sport and continues to show further improvements each time out transforming herself into a uniquely dangerous dark horse in the competitive division Rodriguez took off her gloves and announced her retirement from active competition The Brazilian was a fixture in the Top 15 throughout her UFC run exiting the Octagon with a record of 7-6-2 in the promotion and 17-6-2 overall Quang Le played to his strengths and picked up his first UFC victory on Saturday night, wrestling Gaston Bolanos to the canvas multiple times before choking him unconscious Rather than standing with the talented kickboxer putting Bolanos on the canvas where he was forced to defend and managed no meaningful offence After trading briefly at the start of the second working to the back where he finally fished his forearm under the neck sending “The Dreamkiller” to Dream Land with the belly-down rear-naked choke This was an outstanding effort for the Minnesota-based Vietnamese fighter He said heading into the contest that he was going to wrestle more and stuck to his game plan Thomas Petersen returned to the state where he won a JuCo national title on the wrestling mats to collect his second UFC victory The Iowa Central product dominated from the rip, spending the majority of the first two rounds manhandling Don'Tale Mayes on the canvas looking for submissions in the first and hitting him with short shots After both men connected in the opening exchange to start the third Petersen continued to wrestle Mayes throughout roughing up Mayes with punches and elbows to close out the lopsided effort Petersen was in complete control from start to finish to get himself back into the win column and return his record to .500 inside the Octagon it was a second setback this year and third straight loss overall Juliana Miller and Ivana Petrovic engaged in a competitive back-and-forth in the strawweight division to open the evening Petrovic was the sharper of the two in the opening frame having more success on the feet and doing well to thwart Miller’s attempts to grapple the former TUF winner was able to find her way to the back hunting for chokes and landing sporadic blows while Petrovic struggled to wriggle free and escape the position The judges were tasked with determining the victor in the first bout of the night and when the scorecards were collected and totalled Fighting for the first time since the summer of 2023 the win snapped a two-fight skid for the emotional 28-year-old who dedicated the fight to her grandmother who recently passed See How The Judges Scored Every Round Of UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo Watch Post-Fight Interviews With The Main Card Winners And More From UFC Fight Night: Sandhage The initial list of nominees for the 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Iowa has been released and as could be expected blue blood Iowa manufacturers are on the list But joining the list of 69 nominees for the coveted “coolest” title are less recognizable companies that also have cutting-edge products such as Insane Impact of Des Moines that manufactures a mobile LED trailer and Subanto Autonomy System of Nevada that can retrofit tractors to operate autonomously It is now up to Iowans to determine which of the 69 nominees eventually takes the crown. Voting is done online at coolestthingia.com The first round of voting will cut the field down to a Sweet 16 round starting on May 8 The voting continues from May 8-14 to determine the top 8 The field will be whittled to a final four from May 16-21 The final round of voting takes place from May 23-June 3 with the winner announced on June 11 The contest, sponsored by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) and MidwestOne Bank features products ranging from culinary delights like Thelma’s Ice Cream Sandwiches made in Des Moines Bonser’s Noodles made in Agency and the famous Maytag Blue Cheese made in Newton It also includes heavier equipment like the Winnebago View 24R made in Forest City and The Claw made by Oertel Metal Works of Davenport capable of lifting lids off of barges with a single operator a task that can normally take up to five workers ABI and MidwestOne sponsor the contest to highlight the importance of manufacturing to Iowa’s economy which adds $43.8 billion to the economy and employs 221,500 workers The ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler manufactured by Pella's Vermeer Corp was crowned champion of the initial contest held in 2024 The baler is highly maneuverable and is designed and manufactured to automate much of the hay-baling process “Winning the inaugural Coolest Thing Made in Iowa was an incredible honor for us. The whole experience — from entering the contest, to voting throughout the contest, to winning the contest — was simply fun,” Vermeer spokesperson Liz Sporrer said in an earlier interview with the Register. Bo Nickal hasn’t tasted defeat very often in his athletic career but he always seems to come back better That’s effectively the message the three-time NCAA champion wrestler sent out after breaking his silence following a disappointing result in his co-main event fight against Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines The highly touted prospect suffered a second-round knockout loss after de Ridder blasted Nickal to the body with a brutal knee strike that ended the fight Nickal vowed that he’ll bounce back when it comes time to fight again “Grateful for the highs and lows,” Nickal wrote on Instagram A post shared by Bo Nickal (@nobickal1) American Top Team — the gym that Nickal calls home — also released a brief statement on social media and echoed a similar feeling about the result Prior to his loss to de Ridder on Saturday Nickal had been almost flawless during his MMA career with a perfect 7-0 record including six wins by knockout or submission It wasn’t until he faced veteran fighter Paul Craig in his previous outing that Nickal had even gone to decision but his good fortune changed to bad against de Ridder The former two-division ONE champion gave Nickal fits in the clinch and even managed to control the Penn State standout on the ground after a grappling exchange ended with de Ridder on top But as much as attention was paid to Nickal’s wrestling and de Ridder’s world-class jiu-jitsu the difference in the fight really came down to striking With Nickal looking labored in his movement de Ridder really started focusing on the body where he began unloading a series of knee strikes After Nickal threw an ill-fated boxing combination de Ridder fired back with a knee directly to the midsection and the 29-year-old middleweight crumbled to the canvas The loss drops Nickal to 7-1 in his career but obviously he’s already planning on learning from this experience with hopes for a better result next time out Bo Nickal’s first loss came in brutal fashion Matched up with the far more experienced Reinier de Ridder in the UFC Des Moines co-main event Nickal looked completely outmatched as the former two-division ONE Champion titleholder outworked him in every phase of the game en-route to a second-round TKO victory De Ridder was grounded early on by the three-time NCAA wrestling champion but utilized his slick grappling to turn the tables and end up in top position With three times as many pro fights as Nickal heading into Saturday de Ridder never looked rushed or panicked even as the powerful Nickal went to lock up with him The end came when de Ridder went to the body damaging Nickal with a hard knee up the middle and prompting referee Mike Beltran to step in for the stoppage Check out how the pros reacted to Nickal’s hype train being halted The wrestling world has taken a hit today. Keep your head up @NoBickal this is not the end I got finished by Demetrious Johnson with a similar body shot and I went on to avenge that loss and become champion Well Bo's comment about being the better striker didn't age too well...BUT he stepped up and competed with a very experienced veteran. And RDR was fearless!!! And it paid off HUGE!#UFCDesMoines Let’s fucking go rdr with the kill called him by ko i was just telling my bro on the phone too crazy Hype train derailed #UFCDesMoines Insane bodywork by RDR putting a big feather into his cap #UFCDesMoines Oh my goodness!!! #UFCDesMoines This guy is legit.Woow RDR.#UFCDesMoines