Tag: Umar Nurmagomedov

UFC’s Cory Sandhagen wants five-round fight with Umar Nurmagomedov – preferably not in Middle East

UFC bantamweight standout Cory Sandhagen hopes his fight with Umar Nurmagomedov is five rounds.

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] hopes his fight with [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] is five rounds.

Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) accepted Nurmagomedov’s (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) callout for their fight to be rebooked. Nurmagomedov is coming off a unanimous decision win over newcomer Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Fight Night 238.

Sandhagen thinks the high pace Nurmagomedov pushed against Almakhan slowed him down, something he plans on exposing in a 25-minute fight. Sandhagen’s past five fights have been scheduled for five rounds, four of which went the distance.

“That’s what I asked for,” Sandhagen said in an interview with Fanatics View. “I feel like I’m a five-round fighter. I do better in five-round fights. The pace that I feel I could be able to push in a three rounder, especially after doing five rounds for the last two or three years of my life, would be maybe enjoyable. I think it would be cool to push the pace that high. If this is a three rounder, I feel like camp is going to be a lot easier.

“It’s not really going to be, but maybe the level of physical getting beat up is going to be less because I don’t need to do seven, eight rounds when I’m sparring if I’m doing a three-round fight. That would kind of mess up the pace in which I would fight at anyways. Yeah, he definitely was breathing hard. He definitely showed a vulnerability, and that’s definitely not something you want to do.”

The UFC already has two events scheduled in the Middle East – June 22 in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, and Aug. 3 in Abu Dhabi. However, Sandhagen would rather their fight did not take place in the Middle East.

“I don’t know that I should have to go to the other side of the world to fight,” Sandhagen said. “I’m giving him a shot. That’s what it feels like. I am the guy giving him the platform to show that he deserves to fight for the belt next, and, no, I don’t really love the idea of going halfway across the world so that he can have an advantage.”

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Umar Nurmagomedov sees Cory Sandhagen as a tougher fight than Sean O’Malley: ‘His IQ is very high level’

Umar Nurmagomedov thinks Cory Sandhagen is a sterner test for him than the champion.

[autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] is a sterner test for him than the champion.

Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) called for his previously scrapped bout with Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) to be rescheduled after defeating newcomer Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Fight Night 238.

Nurmagomedov got his wish when Sandhagen verbally agreed to fight him, but that doesn’t mean the undefeated rising contender is taking him lightly. In fact, he sees Sandhagen as a tougher challenge than bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC).

“I think one of the hard fights in my division, it’s Cory,” Nurmagomedov told ESPN. “Nobody fights like Cory. He’s talented, he has very good technique, and I like this. It’s big challenge for me. I want to fight – if I will choose, of course I want to fight with Cory, and I hope to soon because I want to begin my training camp. … Yes, I think it’s more hard than even O’Malley because Cory, it’s very difficult. His IQ is very high level I think.”

Nurmagomedov was critical of O’Malley’s wrestling. After seeing him get taken down six times by Petr Yan at UFC 280, he questions his defense.

“When I saw his fight with Petr Yan and Petr Yan take him down, I understand he’s not high-level wrestler and he don’t have some defense,” Nurmagomedov said. “I think it’s going to be very difficult to learn. If you want to wrestle from a high level, couple years, you need this.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Merab Dvalishvili explains why linking Umar Nurmagomedov to UFC title shot is ‘very disrespectful’

Merab Dvalishvili doesn’t think Umar Nurmagomedov deserves to be in the UFC bantamweight title picture just yet.

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] doesn’t think [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] deserves to be in the UFC bantamweight title picture just yet.

Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) called for his previously scrapped booking with Cory Sandhagen to be rescheduled after defeating newcomer Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Fight Night 238 earlier this month.

Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who’s a riding a 10-fight winning streak, would have rather seen Nurmagomedov climb the ladder like he had to. He thinks it’s way too early for Nurmagomedov to be in those title conversations.

“There is a guy from Dagestan, he’s a good fighter, but he fight nobody,” Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie. “He fought somebody from debut, and now he wants to fight for the belt. It’s not how it works. I think it’s very disrespectful. There are other guys who have a long winning streak, and he should fight them.

“And then fight somebody in the top 10, then top five, and then belt. You fight nobody, and now you want to fight for the belt? He’s a good guy, I like him, I respect him, but he’s talking trash about myself, talking trash to everybody. He’s calling top guys. He’s a good fighter, but come on, bro. You got to fight somebody good.”

Dvalishvili was dubbed as No. 1 contender after defeating former two-division champion Henry Cejudo at UFC 298. Nurmagomedov is undefeated, but Dvalishvili says it’s been tough to gauge how good he really is.

“Who knows if you’re a good fighter or no? You haven’t been tested yet,” Dvalishvili continued. “You fought a debut guy. Come on.”

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Daniel Cormier impressed how Umar Nurmagomedov fought on instinct after knockdown at UFC Fight Night 238

Daniel Cormier had high praise for how Umar Nurmagomedov handled adversity at UFC Fight Night 238.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] had high praise for how [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] handled adversity at UFC Fight Night 238.

Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) was knocked down early by newcomer Bekzat Almakhan in their main card bout Saturday but rallied to dominate him on the ground for the unanimous decision win.

Cormier, a training partner of Nurmagomedov’s, said the undefeated contender was badly rocked by Almakhan, but used his wrestling instincts to survive.

“I was talking to him in the octagon, and I showed him the video. I said, ‘How hurt were you by the punch from Almakhan?'” Cormier said on his ESPN show “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “He goes, ‘I don’t really know,’ and I showed him. And he goes, ‘Now I understand.’ The dude didn’t even recognize that he had gotten hurt as bad as he did. He got knocked down early in the fight, looked at the replay, and for the first time was recognizing what happened to him. So what that tells me, and this to me is what’s most impressive, he did that all on instinct. As a competitor myself, I have given up takedowns, I have gotten hit with things in the fight.

“When I went to my stool after Anthony Johnson knocked me down to the floor, I was thinking about the start of the next round to make sure that it didn’t happen again. Umar Nurmagomedov never went back there. He never remembered it, so I think it’s so impressive that he was able to operate on pure instinct for the next 13 minutes, and he was able to operate without going back to that moment. That’s very impressive, and I think him being able to do all that without any thought, makes him very dangerous for anyone in the weight class.”

Nurmagomedov called for his fight with Cory Sandhagen to be rebooked, as he continues his struggle to land a ranked opponent.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 238.

Cory Sandhagen accepts Umar Nurmagomedov’s callout for fight to be rebooked under one condition

Cory Sandhagen will fight Umar Nurmagomedov as long as he’s guaranteed a title shot with a win.

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] will fight [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] as long as he’s guaranteed a title shot with a win.

Nurmagomedov called out Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) after defeating newcomer Bekzat Almakhan by unanimous decision Saturday at UFC Fight Night 238. The pair were scheduled to fight last August in the UFC on ESPN 50 main event, but Nurmagomedov withdrew.

Sandhagen had previously said if Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) looked impressive against Almakhan, he’d be open to rescheduling the fight. He still stands by his stipulation that he’ll fight him if winning guarantees him a title shot.

“I have no problem fighting Umar, especially if they’re telling me that it’s for a No. 1 contender spot,” Sandhagen told CBS Sports. “If they’re that high on him, then yeah, let’s go at it. Decide who should be fighting for the belt next and then let’s solidify this thing for me so that there’s no more question of whether it should be me, or someone else. If I win the next one against Umar, there’s absolutely no argument that I feel like I shouldn’t be fighting for the belt next.”

Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) defends his title in a rematch against Marlon Vera (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 299 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) headliner at Kaseya Center in Miami.

However, Sandhagen will have to wait his turn after Merab Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC). The Georgian fighter was declared No. 1 contender after defeating Henry Cejudo at UFC 298, and will weigh in as a backup for O’Malley vs. Vera.

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Rare video shows little Khabib Nurmagomedov and his cousins as kids having a laugh at breakfast

Khabib and his cousins look so innocent, you’d never think they went on to be forces in the cage.

Long before [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] became one of the greatest UFC champions of all time, before he was a dominant force, before he took down opponents and bludgeoned them with ground-and-pound, he was a kid.

It’s easy to forget that the fighters we watch go to battle inside the cage, at one point, they were just kids who enjoyed being kids.

That’s what makes this video of Khabib and his fellow fighter cousins – [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] – sitting around and having a laugh at the breakfast table while being filmed as children so fascinating to watch.

Check this out (via Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3_M4lpSzg0/?igsh=cXg0bjlnd3RlNXV0

Family is so important to Khabib. It’s why he retired while still in his prime, making a promise to his mother that he would no longer fight after the untimely death of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

Seeing this video of Khabib at a family gathering surrounded by cousins reaffirms that sentiment.

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USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, March 5: Muhammad Mokaev, Umar Nurmagomedov climb

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC Fight Night 238 in Las Vegas.

UFC Fight Night 238 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas was the sole source of rankings moves in this week’s update.

First, in the bantamweight division, [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] turned in a dominant performance against Bekzat Almakhan after getting clipped early, still earning multiple 10-8 scores on the official cards. Entering the week at No. 15, Nurmagomedov jumps up to No. 12.

In the next fight, [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] picked up a key win in the flyweight division, earning a unanimous nod over Alex Perez. Mokaev entered the week at #6, and exits one spot higher, breaking into the top 5.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Video: Khabib Nurmagomedov is against Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway. Does he have a point?

Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t thrilled with the ramifications of Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway at UFC 300. Fair or foul?

One of the most anticipated fights on the UFC 300 lineup is the BMF title fight between [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]. However, not everyone is excited about it.

Count UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] among those who are not fans of this matchup.

“All respect for Max Holloway, but I don’t know, and I don’t understand why UFC make this fight,” Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie recently.

Nurmagomedov would rather see Holloway face featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and Gaethje matchup against Islam Makhachev in the coming months. According to “The Eagle,” this matchup could prevent two of the best title matchups from coming together in the featherweight and lightweight divisions.

Is Khabib right, or are his comments out of bounds? Our “Spinning Back Clique” of Farah Hannoun, Simon Samano and Brian “Goze” Garcia answered that with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below on YouTube.

 

Video: Do Umar Nurmagomedov and Muhammad Mokaev deserve title shots after UFC Fight Night 238?

Umar Nurmagomedov and Muhammad Mokaev stayed undefeated at UFC Fight Night 238, but their performances left something to be desired.

[autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] both remained undefeated at UFC Fight Night 238, but their performances might’ve left something to be desired.

Nurmagomedov, No. 13 in the official UFC bantamweight rankings, earned a clean-sweep unanimous decision against Bekzat Almakhan but not before he was rocked in the first round and had to recover from a knockout. Mokaev, No. 8 at flyweight, claimed a unanimous decision by three scores of 29-28 in a fight with Alex Perez that seriously tested his will to win.

Considering neither Nurmagomedov nor Mokaev could score a finish, did either one break through enough in their respective divisions to earn a title shot? Our “Spinning Back Clique” of Farah Hannoun, Simon Samano and Brian “Goze” Garcia answered that with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below on YouTube.

Sean O’Malley: If Umar Nurmagomedov can become a star, that’s the fight I want

Sean O’Malley is open to fighting Umar Nurmagomedov – but once it’s a big fight.

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] is open to fighting [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] – but once it’s a big fight.

Bantamweight champion O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) was criticized for electing Marlon Vera (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) as his first title defense, which headlines Saturday’s UFC 299 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) event at Kaseya Center in Miami. O’Malley wants to avenge the lone loss of his career which came to Vera in August 2020.

O’Malley dismissed the notion he’s seeking easier challenges. He acknowledged Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is a stern test, but prefers to wait until he builds his star power more.

“People think I’m avoiding tough fights,” O’Malley told ESPN. “Umar is probably the toughest fight, and yeah, I’ve been bringing his name up – but it also has to make sense. Umar isn’t a star at all. There’s potential to be a star/star – superstar. I believe I’m a superstar. I believe ‘Chito’ (Vera) is a star. I believe Umar is a potential superstar, literally because he has the last name Nurmagomedov. I’ve never watched the dude fight. I’ve watched some highlights. He’s very skilled. He trains at a good gym. His last name is Nurmagomedov. He’s Russian. He has potential because of that.

“I lied – I think I’ve watched him fight some dude where I think he kneed him in the lips, so I’ve watched him fight once. I feel like just with the name and the skill of the UFC being able to promote certain people, and he comes from that gym – Khabib (Nurmagomedov), I think they train together; he’ll in his corner. O’Malley – Irish … it’s there. There’s something there. If he can become a star with that, that’s the fight I want, too. I don’t want just the easiest fight. I want the biggest fight, and if I have two options and one guy I think is a little bit better of a challenge, I’ll take that one.”

Nurmagomedov remained unbeaten when he outgrappled newcomer Bekzat Almakhan Saturday at UFC Fight Night 238. He called for his fight with Cory Sandhagen to be rebooked in hopes to earn a title shot.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.