The UFC on ABC 7 full fight card came to a close with a highly technical skill-to-skill display. Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov saw a non-stop trade of effective striking, grappling attempts, and reversals. Ultimately, it was coach Khabib Nurmagomedov in the win column as his cousin took the win home.
Cory Sandhagen still has ways to contend for future title opportunities. The journey is not over for him. The 32-year switch-stance striker proved how efficient he can be both in standup and on the ground. In his five successful attempts, every time Umar Nurmagomedov opted for a single leg takedown and a subsequent limb separation, โSandmanโ got out.
Every time โYoung Eagleโ spun around and got Sandhagenโs back, the rival would get back up on his feet or keep his torso high up. He also answered back with some prime striking and leg kicks himself. Ultimately, the 28-year-old from Dagestan proved that he lived up to the hype of being next in line to coach Khabibโs legacy.
Umar Nurmagomedov defeated Sandhagen via unanimous nod (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) on all the judgesโ scorecards. As such, he has a top-line to 135-pound king Sean OโMalley after winning what was always considered a top contenderโs bout. As such, the win, with lightweight legend Khabib at his cousinโs side, has gone quite viral.
UFCย on ABC 7 results:ย Fight fans react to Umar Nurmagomedov winning, claiming title shot
AKAโs Umar Nurmagomedov outworked Cory Sandhagen in his first headliner in prime and tactile fashion. Nurmagomedov remained undefeated after going the distance in the marquee bout of UFC on ABC 7. Cory Sandhagen was a tricky fighter to get past and propel him towards the undisputed gold. Yet, he mixed up his jab work and grappling at the end of every round to overwhelm Sandhagen.
Sandhagenโs three-fight win streak came to an end. During his post-fight interview, โYoung Eagleโ called for a title shot, with no preference for either OโMalley or title challenger Merab Dvalishvili. The duo meet at the Noche UFC 306 PPV headliner. Hereโs what fans think of Nurmagomedovโs undefeated stint and coach Khabib at his side:
Although Cory Sandhagen could not live up to his aspirations of removing the zero from the stats, many lauded him. His takedown defenses and subsequently reversing Nurmagomedovโs โtwistersโ were a work of wonder.
Javier Mendez recently told Helen Yee that Khabib will now corner all his close AKA members. With Islam Makhachev and Belal Muhammad recently, this marks a trifecta of wins for Khabib. A prominent reaction (@LiamHealy16) thus went โ โThe name Nurmagomedov is a cheat code.โ As such, his legacy still holds one way or another.