Umar Nurmagomedov’s work in his UFC journey over the last few years may now be finally paying off, as he scored a win over Cory Sandhagen in a bantamweight title eliminator that headlined Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi.
It was a battle of two highly talented contenders, and that was on display in the opening round. Both men had their moments in their striking, and Sandhagen even put takedown defense on display. Nurmagomedov, however, was able to get the former interim title challenger down before the round concluded.
“The Sandman” continued to land strong strikes in the second round, but Nurmagomedov got him to the ground again and appeared to get him in some trouble, attempting a twister before the round’s conclusion. The Dagestani then picked up his aggression and striking pace in the third round, appearing to land the better shots.
Nurmagomedov continued to piece things together, and while he wasn’t doing much with his takedowns, he seemed like the more active fighter in the fourth. He continued to get more confident with his striking, and he put on a similar performance in the fifth.
Nurmagomedov easily won on the scorecards, with a 50-45 total from one judge and 49-46 from the other two.
Umar Nurmagomedov Stakes Claim For Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili Winner After UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi Win
Nurmagomedov now improves to 18-0, including a 6-0 record in the UFC since debuting in the promotion in 2021.
Sandhagen, meanwhile, sees a three-fight win streak snapped with this defeat.
