UFC Abu Dhabi event was headlined by a men’s bantamweight bout between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov.
Cory Sandhagen (17-5 MMA) had entered this afternoon’s main event sporting a three-fight winning streak, his most previous being a unanimous decision victory over Rob Font 12 months ago. Prior to that victory, ‘Sandman’ had earned wins over Marlon Vera and Song Yadong respectively.
Meanwhile, Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0) had last competed in March of this year, where he earned a unanimous decision victory over Bekzat Almakhan. The undefeated 28-year-old had gone a perfect 5-0 over his first five Octagon appearances.
UFC Abu Dhabi main event proved to be a coming out party for Umar Nurmagomedov. ‘Young Eagle’ was able to get the better of Cory Sandhagen both on the feet and on the canvas. Although ‘Sandman’ showed a ton of heart and made the fight competitive, it was pretty clear after twenty-five minutes of action that ‘Young Eagle’ was the superior fighter. After five grueling rounds, Nurmagomedov was awarded the unanimous decision victory.
Official UFC Abu Dhabi Results: Umar Nurmagomedov def. Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
Check out how the pros reacted to ‘Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov below:
Post-fight reactions to Umar Nurmagomedov defeating Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi: