“I don’t care about rankings,” says Sandhagen, who has his sights set on the title with a win in Abu Dhabi
DUBAI: When Cory Sandhagen enters the Octagon at the Etihad Arena for UFC Night on August 3, he will come with a growing sense of familiarity.
The 32-year-old American will face Umar Nurmagomedov in a bantamweight bout next week. It is his third visit to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
With a win and a loss in Abu Dhabi, Sandhagen has prepared himself for all eventualities against the rising star from Dagestan in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
“I’m just preparing myself as best as I can for whatever will happen in the fight,” Sandhagen told Arab News.
“I'm just learning and understanding how he fights, how he wrestles and strikes,” he added. “I make sure I'm not surprised by anything because I know with guys that have such unique styles, it can happen very easily that people think it's one thing, but it's definitely not one thing.”
Sandhagen (17-4-0) has won three fights in a row and another win in Abu Dhabi should give him a chance at the title belt.
“I definitely believe that. I don't think there's anyone else in the division that beats (those opponents),” Sandhagen said. “(Yadong) Song is a top-10 guy, Chito (Marlon Vera) is a top-10 guy and (Rob) Font was a top-10 guy when I fought him.
“A lot of those wins were really impressive,” he added. “A stoppage against Song, winning every round against Chito and then winning every round against Font – I think I definitely put on the most impressive performances against some of the best guys. I think fighting a big up-and-comer who is considered one of the better talents in the division, beating him will definitely solidify that (the title shot) for me.”
Sandhagen rejects any argument that, as the second-ranked bantamweight in Abu Dhabi, he has more to lose than his 10th-ranked opponent, who has a record of 17-0-0.
“I don't care about the rankings. If someone is better than me, I want them to have the belt ahead of me,” he said. “If Umar is better than me (and beats me), I want him to continue because that means he earned it and deserves it more than me. I don't care about the rankings. I don't care if I have something to lose.
“I want the best to be the champion and if I think I'm the best, I have to go out there and prove it, no matter who (my opponent) is, no matter what rank he is, no matter how many fights he's had in the UFC,” the Coloradan native said. “If Umar is better than me, I want him to beat me, that means he deserves it. If I beat Umar, that means I'm better than him and I deserve the title shot. That's how I approach fights. We'll see if he's better than me.”
Sandghagen has already appeared in Abu Dhabi twice, first defeating Marlon Moraes at the Flash Forum in October 2021 before losing to Petr Yan at the Etihad Arena a year later. He looks back fondly on both experiences.
“It was great, I really love that part of the world,” he said. “My first time there was when I went out and fought Marlon. I love that part of the world, I found the hospitality incredible, very warm. The hotels were really great.”
He also had special praise for the home fans.
“I really don't remember hearing a lot of boos there. I think that demographic of fans is very different from the American demographic in that they don't really boo a lot. They still cheer for their guy, but I think that part of the world just has a deeper, richer history in martial arts. And I think what matters most to them is good fights and quality fighters.
“The Middle East has some of the best fighters in the world. A lot of these areas in the Middle East have some of the best fighters in the world and a deep, rich martial arts culture. I love the fans in Abu Dhabi. I find them very nice and fair.”
Abu Dhabi has been a hub for the UFC for several years, and on June 22, Saudi Arabia hosted its first-ever UFC Fight Night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Sandhagen believes that hosting events in the region has given the UFC and its roster of fighters a boost.
“I think it's great,” he said. “The more global the UFC becomes, the more opportunities we have. Most of all, man, I think it's really cool that fighting brings all parts of the world together.”
“Right now, the guys from Dagestan are really hot and people here really like it and really enjoy it,” he added. “It's put Dagestan on the map. I didn't know where it was before and I think that's a very cool aspect of what the UFC does. It brings us all a little bit closer together.”
Sandhagen hopes that the spread of the UFC in the region will also produce more local fighters in the coming years, and he would like to play his part in that.
“One of the things I love most about UFC fights is I usually leave them very inspired,” he said. “I'm inspired to fight better, but I also just feel very inspired by the people, some of the fighters and the way they go out and perform. I think if you can bring just a little bit of inspiration into someone's life, it can make a huge difference.”
