Cory Sandhagen says he’s willing to wait till Sean O’Malley’s desired UFC return date of June 2025.
[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] sees a potential fight against [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] as a no-brainer.
Sandhagen (17-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC), a former title challenger and long-time UFC bantamweight contender, is hoping to get booked against O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), and is surprised that there’s not a big effort, at least for now, by the promotion to get that fight done.
Speaking on Michael Bisping’s YouTube channel, Sandhagen continued his push for a fight against the former UFC champion, and even said he’d be willing until June – O’Malley’s targeted return.
“You read all the comments, and you talk to fans, and you talk to people, and that’s the fight everyone wants to see happen,” Sandhagen said. “I’m actually kind of surprised the UFC hasn’t come to me or Sean, hasn’t said anything about that fight yet or anything, or (the UFC) asked, ‘Hey, are you willing to wait till June?’ because I would entertain that big time.
“I think a big piece I’ve been able to appreciate lately is I really want to give fans what they’re paying to see, and if it means waiting to give fans a fight they’re most excited for, I would definitely big time entertain that. I would rather not have it all the way in June, but there’s no better fight you can make. Me and O’Malley is a banger of a fight.”
Sandhagen said he was offered a fight against Deiveson Figueiredo for late 2024, but Figueiredo turned it down, and now the UFC will look to book Figueiredo against Petr Yan.
Not wanting to fight too down the UFC bantamweight rankings, Sandhagen sees O’Malley as the only viable option, as he’s coming off a championship loss to Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 306 last month.
“I feel like O’Malley is the only fight,” Sandhagen said. “Maybe the winner of Yan and Figgy if O’Malley is going to be weird and still not bring me up or mention that fight or anything like that. So yeah, that’s what I’m looking at.”
Sandhagen (17-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) thinks fans would salivate for a striking battle between him and O’Malley, but former champion Dillashaw thinks it wouldn’t even be competitive.
“I think he pieces Sean up,” Dillashaw said on the Jaxxon Podcast. “When they were getting ready to give a title fight to someone, I thought that Sandhagen would’ve been a dope fight for him. I think Sandhagen’s just better at what O’Malley is good at, to be honest. He’s just more dangerous. But O’Malley’s got great feints. I would love to see that fight.”
Dillashaw knows first hand how good Sandhagen is on the feet. He fought Sandhagen in July 2021, edging him out in a close decision win by using his grappling.
However, Sandhagen may not get his desired fight with O’Malley just yet, after O’Malley announced that he’s set to undergo surgery Oct. 3 for a torn labrum in his left hip, which he suffered 10 weeks prior to his fight with Dvalishvili.
Cory Sandhagen thought Deiveson Figueiredo “was a little bit more about that life” and is surprised he declined to fight him.
According to [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag], a top UFC bantamweight contender declined to fight him.
Sandhagen, who’s coming off a main event loss to Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC on ABC 7 in August, said the UFC tried to match him up with [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] (24-3-1 MMA, 13-3-1 UFC) at the end of the year.
“Figgy turned down the fight against me in September, which is just kind of whack because I thought that Figgy was a little bit more about that life than that,” Sandhagen said on his YouTube channel. “I’m kind of actually hurt that Figgy doesn’t want to fight me in December, but maybe he wants to take the easier fights. I don’t know what that dude’s plan is.”
Sandhagen (17-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) initially campaigned to fight Sean O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) after he lost his bantamweight title to Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) by unanimous decision in this past Saturday’s UFC 306 main event at Sphere in Las Vegas.
But upon hearing that O’Malley is set to undergo surgery Oct. 3 for a torn labrum in his hip, he’s a little disappointed.
“It’s really a bummer, man, because I was really hoping to get that fight one, and then two, the fans get really excited about fights like that, and that’s just a bummer that they don’t get to have that fight right now at least,” Sandhagen told Fanatics View. “But even in the future, you never really know what’s going to happen. It kind of reminds me of three or four years ago when people were really trying to hype up a me and Dominick Cruz fight.
“Cruz just never ended up taking the fight. He had other opportunities, and he took those ones. That’s just a bummer. I hope that’s not the case with this one and that the fans eventually get to watch me and O’Malley fight. … I’m not going to wait until the summer for O’Malley. No way. I like fighting. I was just out for an entire year. I really wanted to get something in December, but I think it’s realistically going to be a bit longer than that.”
Sean O’Malley already has a slew of top bantamweight contenders wanting a piece of him after UFC 306.
[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] already has a slew of top bantamweight contenders wanting a piece of him after UFC 306.
O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) lost his 135-pound title to Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) by unanimous decision in Saturday’s Noche UFC main event at Sphere in Las Vegas.
“Hey O’Methyl…You wanted to be the next Conor McGregor-well now you are. Neither of you bums can defend a takedown. I’m teaching ‘Wrestling for Cokeheads’ at 8 AM. See you in the morning. @SugaSeanMMA.”
“Watching Merab win the title ⏩️ realizing you get Sandman v Suga because of it
.
Congrats, Merab. You earned it, man. O’Malley, time to give the people what they want. I don’t promise to not kiss you.”
O’Malley seemed to take his loss in stride, posting a video of him working on his takedown defense on his Instagram. O’Malley was taken down six times by Dvalishvili and controlled for 10 minutes.
Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ABC 7 odds between Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov, with MMA picks and predictions.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
In a 5-round bantamweight bout in the main event, Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov meet Saturday at UFC on ABC 7 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ABC 7: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The prelims begin noon ET, on ESPN2/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 3 p.m. ET, on ABC/ESPN.
Sandhagen lost in his first and only UFC title fight against Petr Yan at UFC 267, but he has bounced back with 3 straight victories over Song Yadong, Marlon Vera and Rob Font, with the past 2 wins coming via decision.
For Nurmagomedov, he is unbeaten in 5 fights at the UFC level. In fact, he has never lost in 17 career pro bouts since Dec. 16, 2016. He picked up a unanimous-decision win March 2 against Bekzat Almakhan, coming on the heels of a Round 1 KO/TKO of Raoni Barcelos in Jan. 2023.
In 17 fights for Nurmagomedov, he has won 2 times via KO/TKO, and 7 times via submission. For Sandhagen, he has never been knocked out, going 7-0 via the method. He is 3-1 by way of submission, too.
Sandhagen holds a slight 1-inch reach advantage, and the switch-stance fighter has a 5.33-to-4.75 significant strikes landed per minute advantage.
Nurmagomedov is much more accurate at 74.49% on those strikes, while Sandhagen checks in at just 50.04%. Nurmagomedov is strong in the takedown game, too, posting a 4.51 takedown average and 56.00% takedown accuracy percentage.
There is no value playing the unbeaten Nurmagomedov (-350), as he will cost you 3½ times your potential return. There is just no value playing such a heavy favorite. Let’s get more specific instead.
When Sandhagen has been beaten since Oct. 30, 2021, he has made the opposition work. He lost via split decision to TJ Dillashaw, and he lost via unanimous decision to Yan in the title fight.
If Sandhagen goes down, it will be because the unbeaten Dagestani fighter wowed the judges. Play NURMAGOMEDOV BY POINTS (+115) for a much better value.
YES (-134): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? isn’t a bad play, and it isn’t priced out line.
Sandhagen has gone the distance in 2 straight, and 4 of the past 5 bouts, against top competition.
For Nurmagomedov, he has needed the judges in 2 of his past 3 outings. OVER 4.5 ROUNDS (-150) is a suggested play if you’d like a little wiggle room in the event of a 5th-round finish.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
Here’s when to expect Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov to make their cage walks at UFC Abu Dhabi.
[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] and [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] have the opportunity to assert themselves as the next title challenger in the bantamweight division when they meet in the UFC on ABC 7 main event. This bout is scheduled for five rounds is taking place Saturday, Aug. 3 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) stumbled for a bit with back-to-back losses T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan but has since reeled off three wins in a row to reestablish himself as a title threat. Sandhagen has defeated contenders Song Yadong, Marlon Vera and most recently Rob Font last August.
Undefeated Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) aims to be the next champion under the tutelage of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. This fight against Sandhagen represents by far the biggest jump in competition of his career.
Here are the walkout times for the UFC on ABC 7 main event between Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov.
When does the UFC on ABC 7 fight card start?
The UFC on ABC 7 lineup consists of 14 fights. Prelims start at noon ET and the main card at 3 p.m. ET.
Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov walkout time
As the main event, Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET.
On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel previews the key bouts at Saturday’s UFC on ABC 7 in Abu Dhabi.
There’s a big UFC event this weekend, with lots to discuss.
The octagon returns to Abu Dhabi with UFC on ABC 7 – an action-packed card with several important matchups. In the main event, top bantamweight contenders [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] and [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] clash in what may likely be a title eliminator bout. Additionally, [autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag], fan-favorite bantamweights [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] and [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag], clash, and [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] makes his return, among other matchups.
With a big Fight Night on the horizon, MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Danny Segura, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia previewed and analyzed the biggest bouts on UFC on ABC 7.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode below on YouTube and in podcast form.
Check out the final faceoff between UFC on ABC 7 headliners Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi.
ABU DHABI – [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] and [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] had their final pre-fight meeting at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of their UFC on ABC 7 main event.
Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) goes after what arguably would be the biggest win of his career Saturday against the unbeaten Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC). The fight is expected to be a title eliminator in the bantamweight division.
Watch the video above to see the UFC on ABC 7 ceremonial weigh-in faceoff between Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov. UFC on ABC 7 (ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 7.
Will Umar Nurmagomedov remain undefeated by getting past the savvy Cory Sandhagen in the UFC on ABC 7 main event?
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC on ABC 7 main event between former bantamweight interim title challenger [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] and undefeated [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag].
Supplemental info:
+ Combat sambo world champion
+ Amateur MMA accolades
+ 2 KO victories
+ 7 submission wins
+ 5 first-round finishes
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Deceptively accurate hands/shot selection
^ Usually works off single shots
+ Dynamic kicking ability
^ Competent from both stances
+ Explosive power-double takedown
+ Strong inside the clinch
+ Excellent wrestling ability
^ Quick reactive shots/chains attacks well
+ Superb transitional grappler
^ Loves creating back exposure
Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov point of interest: Shifty strikers
Mar 25, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Marlon Vera (red gloves) fights Cory Sandhagen (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Meullion-USA TODAY Sports
The main event in Abu Dhabi features a bantamweight showdown between two fighters who aren’t afraid to switch their stances.
Despite listing himself as an orthodox stance fighter, Nurmagomedov is a competent operator from either side.
Preferring to fight from the outside, Nurmagomedov commands a plethora of kicks out of both stances. From prodding sidekicks to more powerful Thai kicks, Nurmagomedov is good about playing with the looks and levels of his attacks.
Once Nurmagomedov establishes a threat, the 28-year-old is smart about building off it by either going up high with a question mark kick or attaching sneaky counter-balancing punches to the end of his attacks.
Nevertheless, Nurmagomedov is not beyond being countered for his shifting sensibilities and will need to be on his best behavior opposite Sandhagen.
Coming up through the kickboxing ranks in the quiet martial arts hotbed of Colorado, Sandhagen has clearly studied and absorbed a lot in what has been a fun career to watch thus far.
Cory Sandhagen tracking Moraes' pivots by stepping through into southpaw to cut him off and flashing the jab in his face pic.twitter.com/6ezCljyQS0
Utilizing his long and lean frame like second nature, Sandhagen is a rangy kickboxer who appears comfortable poking and prodding his opposition with accurate jabs and leg kicks from either stance. Shifting or drop-stepping at a moment’s notice, the 32-year-old talent can piece together flowing, varied offense off of whatever building materials are offered up to him.
Whether Sandhagen is bringing back Jose Aldo’s patented “Dutchie” combination or launching jumping switch-knees that give me flashbacks to Liu Kang’s bicycle kick, he certainly knows how to keep things spicy. And when Sandhagen is feeling in stride, it’s not uncommon to see the good samaritan show a sadistic smile after punctuating his presence with deep hooks or uppercuts to the body.
However, despite the multi-leveled attacks, Sandhagen is not exactly impervious from a defensive standpoint and will have to respect the potential level-changing counters coming his way.
Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov breakdown: Potential grappling threats
Mar 5, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Brian Kelleher (red gloves) fights Umar Nurmagomedov (blue gloves) during UFC 272 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Considering the arguable crux of Nurmagomedov’s game, no one should be shocked if the Russian fighter looks to take this party to the floor.
A world champion in combat sambo, Nurmagomedov is a well-rounded grappler who is dangerous from multiple positions.
Training with his brother under the tutelage of his uncle, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, from a young age, Nurmagomedov possesses a lot of the translateable wrestling and sambo tactics you’d like to see from said background.
Whether he’s hitting reactive shots at the drop of a dime or entering in on a clinch, Nurmagomedov is good about chaining his attacks until getting his desired result. From shuck-bys to the back to balance de-basing leg play, Sandhagen will have a lot to worry about this Saturday.
However, in the American’s defense, Sandhagen has, in his own words, become a bit of a wrestler himself.
After dropping a somewhat controversial decision to T.J. Dillashaw in the summer of 2021, Sandhagen started to smartly round out his game and incorporate more takedown looks into his offense.
Although Sandhagen hasn’t exactly gotten any finishes through his newfound appreciation for wrestling, you can argue that these looks help overload opposition and plant potential level-changing seeds that the Colorado native can capitalize on down the road.
Defensively, Sandhagen hasn’t had to show much of his chops since losing to Dillashaw, given the stylistic draw of his opponents. And though Sandhagen still surrendered takedowns in said sample sizes, the majority of those numbers come from caught kicks that played no real effect on the fight.
Even when taken down, Sandhagen can be a tricky customer to deal with.
Slippery inside the scramble, Sandhagen has shown that he is not one to settle for bad positions, displaying a stoic composure that – outside of his fight with Aljamain Sterling – has surely assisted him in adverse spots before. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt in his own right, Sandhagen is far from a slouch when it comes to fighting for positions in the grappling department.
Even when Sandhagen is taken down, he is quick to attack, whether he is throwing armbars off his back to going for triangles from an inverted guard. However, despite showing some savvy in tough spots, Sandhagen still will need to be careful when returning to his feet given his propensity to tripod up and expose his back (I warned about this in my breakdowns before his fights with Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw).
As Nurmagomedov has already shown in the octagon, the Dagestani fighter is incredibly systematic and effective when it comes to breaking down his opponents from rear mount and riding positions.
From wrist feeds to wrist rides, Nurmagomedov demonstrates all the hallmarks of his teammates who came before him in regard to wearing down and finishing opposition.
Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov odds
The oddsmakers and the public are siding with the Russian fighter, listing Nurmagomedov -333 and Sandhagen +250 via FanDuel.
Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov prediction, pick
Mar 5, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Umar Nurmagomedov (blue gloves) celebrates after defeating Brian Kelleher (not pictured) during UFC 272 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Even though I don’t disagree with who is favored from a betting perspective, this fight could get even more interesting if these two are still tangling come the latter rounds.
Nurmagomedov appears to be a solid athlete with a strong motor attached to him, but we know that Sandhagen is a proven product when it comes to both his durability and staying power. Should he survive the early waves of offense from Nurmagomedov, then I’ll be curious to see how the Dagestani phenom swims in deep water.
That said, I ultimately believe that this is a stylistic matchup that bodes badly for Sandhagen.
Despite making marked improvements to his wrestling that he deserves credit for, Sandhagen still shows a strong propensity to show his back in scrambles – something that seems hardwired into his game at this point.
Although I’m curious to see what the presence of Sandhagen’s newfound coach, Trevor Wittman, will bring to the table, I’m not sure it will counteract the grappling dynamic between these two.
As a fan of Sandhagen’s, I definitely wouldn’t mind being wrong on this one. But as an analyst who is just trying to go off of what I see, I can’t help but side with Nurmagomedov to find a submission by the end of Round 3.
Prediction: Nurmagomedov inside the distance
Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov start time, where to watch
As the main event, Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT). The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 7.
The high-stakes bantamweight main event at UFC on ABC 7 is now locked in after Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov made weight.
ABU DHABI – The high-stakes bantamweight main event at UFC on ABC 7 is now locked in after [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] and [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] made weight.
At official weigh-ins Friday morning on Yas Island, Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) did their jobs on the scale in hitting the divisional limit ahead a scheduled five-round bout with significant stakes on the title picture.
Sandhagen stepped on the scale at 136 pounds, while the undefeated Nurmagomedov registered at 135 for his first main event.
Both men have the expectations of a title shot against the winner of Noche UFC headliner Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili, and now the path is clear for them to clash Saturday at Etihad Arena (ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+).
Watch the video above to see Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov make weight for UFC on ABC 7.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 7.
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