Putting his three-fight win streak on the line, Cory Sandhagen steps into enemy territory on Saturday to battle the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov at the world-famous Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. After 362 days since his last trip to the Octagon, Sandhagen now faces his greatest challenge since suffering his last defeat to former two-time Bantamweight king, Petr Yan back in 2021 for the division’s interim strap at UFC 267.
Coming up short in his lone title bout, “Sandman” has gone on to become a dominant juggernaut at 135 lbs, with him subsequently bringing down a trio of promising contenders in Yadong Song, Marlon Vera, and Rob Font.