Putting his three-fight win streak on the line, Cory Sandhagen steps into enemy territory on Saturday to battle the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov at the world-famous Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. After 362 days since his last trip to the Octagon, Sandhagen now faces his greatest challenge since suffering his last defeat to former two-time Bantamweight king, Petr Yan back in 2021 for the division’s interim strap at UFC 267.
Coming up short in his lone title bout, “Sandman” has gone on to become a dominant juggernaut at 135 lbs, with him subsequently bringing down a trio of promising contenders in Yadong Song, Marlon Vera, and Rob Font. While some would argue that he may have already earned his shot at the undisputed belt, Sandhagen has otherwise chosen to fight who many are calling the next bantamweight great in Nurmagomedov in a pivotal main event showdown.
Will Sandhagen’s strong all-around game be enough to quell the relentless pressure and wrestling of the Dagestani?
Sandhagen: The Early Years
A lifelong student of martial arts, Sandhagen had practiced a number of different disciplines prior to competing in mixed martial arts, including taekwondo, boxing, and kickboxing (in which he won a World Kickboxing Association world championship). This experience made his switch to MMA all the easier, as the Colorado native went on to rack up a 4-1 amateur record before making his professional debut on May 30, 2015 at Prize FC 9: Bakken Brawlers, submitting Bruce Sesseman in the first round.
Sandhagen would fight across an array of regional promotions over the next three years, such as Sparta Combat League (where he won their Featherweight title), RFA, and LFA, going 6-1 before signing with the UFC in early 2018. Competing on very short notice, as his debut took place just eight days after his last bout, “Sandman” took on Austin Arnett at UFC on Fox: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2 on January 27, 2018, where he finished Arnett by strikes in round two.
Winning Streak Yields to First No. 1 Contender Fight in UFC
The win ended up becoming the first in a staggering five-fight win streak for Sandhagen, which included victories over past and future Bantamweight standouts in Mario Bautista and Raphael Assunção. The quest for the top of the division eventually brought Sandhagen in the sights of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Aljamain Sterling.
In what was billed as a title eliminator fight, Sandhagen ultimately fell short against the Serra-Longo Fight Team product, who masterfully submitted him over a minute into the contest to hand him his first loss in the UFC.
Defeat to Dillashaw and Bid for Interim Bantamweight Supremacy
Rebounding shortly thereafter, Sandhagen put himself back near the head of the pack with two back-to-back finishes over one-time bantamweight challenger Marlon Moraes and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. This exhilarating two bout finish streak propelled Sandhagen into his second-ever title eliminator versus another previous champion, TJ Dillashaw.
Going into his first fight since serving a two-year suspension as a result of failing a post-fight drug test after losing to then-flyweight title holder Henry Cejudo, and being stripped of his own belt, Dillashaw was eager to reclaim his place as the best 135-lb. fighter in the world. Their meeting went the full five-round distance, but, in the end, it was Dillashaw who emerged as the winner by a closely-contested split decision.
Although he failed in his second shot at undisputed gold, fortune began to smile on “Sandman” when he was called up to compete against Petr Yan in the co-main event at UFC 267: Błachowicz vs. Teixeira on October 30, 2021 for the UFC Interim Bantamweight Championship. Stepping into his second five-round fight in just three months, Sandhagen started the night out strong by winning the first round unanimously on all the judges’ scorecards.
However, the Russian boxing specialist soon began to take control with his superior hand speed and technique, which paved the way for Yan to out-strike Sandhagen for the next 20 minutes en route to nabbing the unanimous decision win.
The Road Back
Losing two important contests in a row, the Elevation Fight Team product found himself forced to go back to the drawing board. With the 135-lb. belt now so far in the distance, Sandhagen began the precarious climb back into contention. On his road to the top once again, he had displayed an evolving skillset, evident from his fourth round TKO of Yadong Song, as well as two decision wins over Marlon Vera and Rob Font, dominating the latter two with impeccable wrestling.
Riding a three-fight win streak, Sandhagen now is set to headline his fourth event in a row when he tackles the 17-0 Umar Nurmagomedov this weekend. With the winner likely earning the right to challenge next for the Bantamweight championship, the stakes could not be any higher for the Coloradan. Should he manage to deal the Russian his first- ever defeat, then a high-profile bout against the winner of the upcoming Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili contest is all but assured for the resurging Sandhagen.
