Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov are set to headline UFC Abu Dhabi on 3 Aug. Their clash will pit one of the 135-pound division’s top contenders against one of its most promising prospects, with the winner potentially receiving a shot at bantamweight gold.
‘Young Eagle’ has arguably the most renowned surname in all of MMA, and is the cousin of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, Sandhagen believes his upcoming opponent is a different challenge than someone like ‘The Eagle’, who is revered for his relentless wrestling.
‘The Sandman’ noted that Nurmagomedov’s striking was arguably his best attribute, with both Umar and his younger brother Usman Nurmagomedov having grown up training Muay Thai.
The No.2-ranked bantamweight contender was recently interviewed by Shakiel Mahjouri, where he said this:
“Coming from [Dagestan], everyone expects you to be a really good grappler. I know that he was a little bit more involved with Muay Thai and kickboxing than he was just grappling. He definitely has that part of his game. The most unique thing about him is his striking style. His grappling is pretty by the book, that Dagestani style. But the striking is really what kind of makes him different than those other guys. The type of techniques he uses, the types of kicks he uses.”
Catch Cory Sandhagen’s comments below (4:10):
Umar Nurmagomedov expects Cory Sandhagen to fatigue at UFC Abu Dhabi
Umar Nurmagomedov plans on showing that he has the superior gas tank to his upcoming opponent, Cory Sandhagen.
The pair will face off in a potential title eliminator fight in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on 3 Aug., and Umar Nurmagomedov will be in luck as his cousin and former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will be in his corner for the bout.
‘Young Eagle’ currently occupies No.10 on the bantamweight rankings and is eager to overtake Sandhagen and claim his No.2 ranking. He intends to use his endurance to do so and believes ‘The Sandman’ will wilt under his pressure.
During a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, he said this:
“We’ll see who gets tired and whose cardio is better. He [Sandhagen] will get exhausted in there fighting with me. You will see… Didn’t he get tired in the Petr Yan fight? He talks like he’s a cardio machine… He was winning the early rounds and he lost the fight because he got tired. So I am really surprised to hear comments like that from him like he can outlast me.”