It is now established that Cory Sandhagen doesn’t usually shy away from a challenge. Owing to the fact he accepted a fight against Umar Nurmagomedov who is significantly ranked lower than him in the bantamweight division. The Russian bantamweight is currently #11 and Cory is #4 in the 135-pound weight class.
The top-ranked 135-pounder has taken a huge risk by fighting Umar as a loss would put a big blow in his hopes of challenging the bantamweight champion. Another reason why this is a dangerous matchup is the fact that Nurmagomedov is undefeated and has finished three of his four fights via knockouts or submission.
Sean O’Malley’s remark on Cory Sandhagen’s next fight
There were numerous stars in attendance at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the UFC 290 PPV that recently concluded. Israel Adesanya, Gilbert Burns, Charles Oliveira, and Sean O’Malley were a few of the big names that were in attendance to witness the spectacular set of fights that took place at the arena.
Following the conclusion of the PPV, Suga Sean sat down for the UFC 290 post-presser. During this interview, he was asked for his thoughts on the matchup between rival Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov.
Sean O'Malley rips Cory Sandhagen and his "poor decision" to fight Umar Nurmagomedov next. đ
Full interview: https://t.co/5ZbZ83or3N pic.twitter.com/5FzR8TrxXu
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) July 9, 2023
O’Malley who is set to contend for the bantamweight title in his next fight sounded very unhappy with Sandhagen’s decision to fight a lower-ranked opponent. Consequently, he expressed his disapproval and questioned his management for allowing him to fight Umar,
“Doesn’t make sense in my eyes you know. I think we just look at fighting, look at business differently. And I think it’s a very poor decision. To go out there and win… Umar is good, beating Umar is big. He just worked Chito, Chito is about to fight Henry who just fought for the title. So I just think it’s a poor decision on his management part.”
Cory Sandhagen vs Umar Nurmagomedov fight overview
Cory Sandhagen will be back inside the octagon next month on August 6th as he takes on Umar Nurmagomedov in a five-round bout in the main event of UFC Fight Night. This highly anticipated matchup is scheduled to take place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, United States.
Leading into this bantamweight clash, Sandhagen is coming off an impressive unanimous decision win over Chito Vera. The former title contender unleashed a beatdown throughout the five rounds to get his hands raised in his last bout. On the other hand, Umar Nurmagomedov extended his undefeated record and continued his good run of form by knocking out Raoni Barcelos in the first round of the fight.
The Russian bantamweight has looked super impressive since making his UFC debut and it would be interesting to see whether he manages to replicate the same kind of form against Cory Sandhagen who is extremely well-rounded in almost all departments. Do let us know in the comments section who you think will win this matchup.
