Cory Sandhagen does not expect to be the first challenger to Petr Yan’s bantamweight title reign, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be ready to be.
Following Cory Sandhagen’s spectacular finish of Marlon Moraes at UFC on ESPN+37, there seems to be nowhere for Sandhagen to go but up. The only hurdle currently in his way is a big one: the fact that Aljamain Sterling holds a victory over Sandhagen from earlier this year. If not for that loss, Sandhagen would almost certainly claim the #1 ranking spot from Moraes after his win Saturday, but more than likely both the ranking and the shot will go to Aljamain Sterling instead. In the unlikely event that Sandhagen receives the shot, as unfair as it may be, Sandhagen would not think twice about his next course of action.
“I would feel really bad if they did me and Yan and did that to Sterling,” Sandhagen said during the UFC on ESPN+37 post-fight interview. “That said, it’s a dog-eat-dog sport, so if they give me that shot, I’m taking that shot. But I think it should be Sterling and Yan.”
If the UFC goes the route most expect in granting Aljamain Sterling the title shot, this will not halt Sandhagen’s preparation for what he expects to be an inevitable title shot, even if it comes as a short-notice replacement.
“When (Yan/Sterling) gets booked, honestly, I’ve been doing that for a year or two now,” Sandhagen said about staying ready for short-notice fights. “Where it’s like this is a big fight coming up, I don’t have a fight coming up, I’m going to keep my weight low and I’m going to stay ready. I’ve been doing that in camp. I’ve been doing it almost the whole time I’ve been in the UFC.
“I’m definitely going to do that of course now, because I think that I’m probably the No. 1 guy if one of those guys gets hurt.”
After such a spectacular performance at UFC on ESPN+37, Sandhagen’s number is sure to be on the fingertips of the UFC brass if a replacement is needed for a world title fight.
What do you make of Sandhagen’s comments regarding accepting a title fight if offered in spite of the fact that he thinks Sterling should receive the shot?
