#2 ranked bantamweight, Cory Sandhagen makes a return to the octagon this weekend when the UFC heads to Abu Dhabi, UAE. Featuring as the main event, ‘The Sandman’ will be pitted against undefeated surging talent, Umar Nurmagomedov in what is widely touted as a title eliminator in the division.
Now, for those of you who want to catch the action live without missing a beat, here’s the start time of UFC Abu Dhabi in 20-plus countries including the US and the UK.
| Country(Time Zone) | Prelims | Main Card |
| USA(ET) | 12:00 PM | 3:00 PM (August 3) |
| Canada (ET) | 12:00 PM | 3:00 PM (August 3) |
| UK (GMT) | 5:00 PM | 8:00 PM (August 3) |
| Australia (AEDT) | 2:00 AM (August 4) | 5:00 AM (August 4) |
| New Zealand (NZST) | 4:00 AM (August 4) | 7:00 AM (August 4) |
| Brazil (BRT) | 2:00 PM | 5:00 PM (August 3) |
| Spain (CET) | 6:00 PM | 9:00 AM (August 3) |
| Poland (CET) | 6:00 PM | 9:00 AM (August 3) |
| Sweden (CET) | 6:00 PM | 9:00 AM (August 3) |
| Ireland (GMT) | 5:00 PM | 8:00 PM (August 3) |
| Italy (CET) | 6:00 PM | 9:00 PM (August 3) |
| Argentina (ART) | 2:00 PM | 5:00 PM (August 3) |
| France (CET) | 6:00 PM | 9:00 PM (August 3) |
| Mexico (CST) | 1:00 PM | 4:00 PM (August 3) |
| China (CST) | 12:00 AM (August 4) | 3:00 AM (August 4) |
| Japan (JST) | 1:00 AM (August 4) | 4:00 AM (August 4) |
| Russia (MSK) | 7:00 PM | 10:00 PM (August 3) |
| India (IST) | 9:30 PM | 12:30 AM (August 4) |
| Ukraine | 7:00 PM | 10:00 PM (August 3) |
| UAE | 8:00 PM | 11:00 PM (August 3) |
| South Africa (SAST) | 6:00 PM | 9:00 AM (August 3) |
| Saudi Arabia | 8:00 PM | 11:00 PM (August 3) |
Furthermore, the bout also highlights a new coach in the corner of Sandhagen. Ahead of the stellar Abu Dhabi card, the American spilled the beans, revealing a new face in his corner for Nurmagomedov.
Sandhagen brings Trevor Whitman into the fold
Former bantamweight interim champion, Sandhagen currently has been on a winning streak since Ever since losing to the then champion, Petr Yan. This includes wins over Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, the Korean phenom, Song Yadong and Rob Font. As a matter of fact, despite many believing that the 32-year-old deserved a title fight, the promotion decided that Sean O’Malley would defend his title against Marlon Vera.
But not to fret, his fight against Nurmagomedov all but guarantees him a title shot next.
Initially, Cory vs Umar was scheduled last August, but the Russian prospect pulled out just weeks and the scrap has been shelved ever since. Now, the contest is back on the table in what many expect to be the fight for the #1 contender spot.
In fact, ahead of this Saturday’s clash, ‘The Sandman’ has sought the assistance of one of the most renowned coaches in the sport, Trevor Wittman, the same person who coached Justin Gaethje and Kamaru Usman.
I feel like Cory Sandhagen and Trevor Whitman would be a god tier combo
— Tyranny (@TyrannyMMA) November 1, 2021
So who are you supporting? Who do you want to see fighting for the UFC bantamweight title?
