The UFC is heading to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on August 3, where #2 ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen is scheduled to take on #10 ranked Umar Nurmagomedov in a five-round banger. Ahead of his bout with the Dagestani, ‘The Sandman’ revealed what makes Umar more than just a typical Dagestani wrestler.
Prior to the match, Sandhagen sat down for an interview with the YouTube MMA channel, SHAK MMA, during which he was asked for his thoughts on Nurmagomedov. Getting straight to the point, Cory acknowledged his opponent’s capabilities and explained what sets Umar apart from other Dagestani fighters.
Rather than being a thoroughbred grappler like the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, Umar is a respected striker with a strong background in Muay Thai and kickboxing. Moreover, Sandhagen mentioned that the Dagestani’s arsenal of looping kicks and strikes blended into an unorthodox style makes him quite dangerous inside the octagon.
“I mean the most unique thing about him is his striking style his grappling is pretty you know by the book that Dagestani style but uh the striking is really what kind of makes him different.”
😳🥊Cory Sandhagen thinks that Umar Nurmagomedov is a better striker than wrestler.
"Just coming from that region [Dagestan], of course, all people expect you to be a great grappler. The most unique thing about him is his striking style. His grappling is pretty by-the-book… pic.twitter.com/kAbDe3MI5S
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) July 30, 2024
However, despite Umar’s uniqueness, he still shares a warm relationship with Khabib Nurmagomedov, and ‘The Eagle’ will be present cage side to watch the Russian take on Sandhagen in a barnburner of a fight.
Khabib to be at UFC Abu Dhabi – Umar
Following his retirement from the sport in 2019, ‘The Eagle’ took some time off for his family. Moreover, even though he returned to the UFC as a coach soon after, his appearances at events have been pretty rare.
However, with his pupil, Umar, now taking on a top-level athlete like Cory, Khabib just couldn’t stay away.
In a recent exclusive with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, Umar was asked who might be in his corner for the fight, to which the fighter name dropped ‘The Eagle.‘
“It’s gonna be Usman (Nurmagomedov), Shamil Zavurov, Javier (Mendez), and Khabib (Nurmagomed0v).”
Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev most probably won’t be present at Umar’s corner on Saturday but most of the other AKA members will be. Moreover, while Umar remains an undefeated prospect, take note that Khabib as a coach is also undefeated and that should indicate a solid combo.
