Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov booked for main event at UFC Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3
Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov are finally set to clash at an upcoming UFC Fight Night card in Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3.
The long awaited bantamweight matchup was originally supposed to happen back in 2023 but a shoulder injury derailed Nurmagomedov and Sandhagen ended up winning a lopsided decision over Rob Font instead. Now they’ll meet in the five-round main event as the UFC returns to Abu Dhabi in August.
UFC officials announced the matchup and the event early Monday morning.
A winner of three fights in a row, Sandhagen remains a constant near the top of the 135-pound division with hopes that he’ll soon earn an opportunity to become champion. In addition to his win over Font this past August, Sandhagen also holds victories over recent title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera and Song Yadong during his current streak.
Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov has quickly become one of the most talked about prospects on the entire UFC roster. As a cousin to retired UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 28-year-old Russian came into the promotion with a lot of hype already around him and he’s lived up to expectations with a perfect 5-0 record inside the octagon.
Most recently, Nurmagomedov dispatched newcomer Bekzat Almakhan in March to move his overall record to 17-0.
He’ll face his stiffest competition to date when he meets Sandhagen in the main event for the UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi in August.