Umar Nurmagomedov does not think a fight between himself and Sean O’Malley will be as big as Khabib vs. Conor. The fight between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov shook up the entire UFC, and the rivalry consumes them to this day.
Widely considered one of the greatest face-offs in UFC history, it also did the biggest numbers PPV-wise. Hence, with talks of O’Malley being McGregor’s heir, and Umar carrying the Nurmagomedov name, fans believed history might repeat itself with their fight.
For now, the young bantamweight is focused on his next fight against Cory Sandhagen this weekend. If he wins that fight, he may get a shot at the title.
In a recent interview with Mike Bohn for MMA Junkie, Umar commented on whether his potential fight against O’Malley would live up to the hype, saying,
“It’s never gonna be close like Khabib and Conor because they have, personalities, he talk bad about religion, family, father, everything….I think it’s not gonna be same.”
While the fight might not generate the kind of hype Khabib vs McGregor did, Umar also spoke about how he doesn’t want his rivalry with O’Malley to turn sour. In fact, the Russian fighter wants to keep things clean while also staying away from insults about one’s family and religion, a habit McGregor is known for.
In the meantime, Umar’s next opponent recently gave the former props for being better than most Dagestani fighters in the striking department.
Cory Sandhagen gives Umar his flowers for improving his striking game
Cory Sandhagen believes Umar Nurmagomedov is a better striker than his Dagestani counterparts. Hailing from Dagestan and training under Khabib, it’s a known fact that the young fighter’s ground game is good.
However, in a recent interview with Shak MMA, ‘Sandman’ spoke about what differentiates his opponent from other fighters from the region, saying,
“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. The striking is really something that makes him different from other guys.”
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
Sandhagen believes it is Umar’s Muay Thai style of kickboxing that sets him apart from other fighters. This also makes him a tricky opponent since he is so well-rounded.
Still, the American is confident of emerging victorious in Saturday’s fight, and it seems like the winner will most likely be next in line for the title shot.
