- George Chung
- Jul 31, 2024
- 2 min read
Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen returns to the Octagon this Saturday for a high-stakes clash vs undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Since his loss to Petr Yan for the interim bantamweight title in 2021, Sandhagen has consistently dominated every opponent he’s faced, cementing his No. 2 position in an ultra-talented 135-pound division.
Statistically, Sandhagen is one of the best strikers the 135-pound division has ever seen. In 12 fights, Sandhagen has connected on 825 significant strikes, the eighth most in bantamweight history. While that volume could be attributed to his frequent five-round main events, “Sandman” still lands 5.79 significant strikes per minute, which is the fifth highest rate among active 135ers.
Very few fighters have ever been able to match Sandhagen’s volume; he has never been outstruck in a UFC fight that lasted longer than a minute-and-a-half, including his last seven opponents, and 11 of 13 overall. In his last four fights, Sandhagen finished with +20, +40, +70 and +25 strike differentials.
While you can’t assume that Nurmagomedov has great wrestling because his cousin was one of the best wrestlers the UFC has ever seen, just watch one of Umar’s fights and that should tell you all you need to know.
Through five UFC fights, Nurmagomedov has earned top position for 53.1 percent of his total fight time, which is the fourth highest percentage among active UFC fighters and the eighth highest all-time in UFC history. When it comes to wrestling inside the Octagon, it’s been one-way traffic for Nurmagomedov, who’s secured 14 total takedowns while boasting a remarkable 100 percent takedown defense.
What flies under the radar is Nurmagomedov’s exceptional striking defense. He’s absorbed just 0.56 significant strikes per minute, which is currently the best rate in UFC history among fighters with a minimum of five fights. Four of Nurmagomedov’s five UFC opponents landed less than 10 total significant strikes against him.
Nurmagomedov’s wrestling threat also allows him to land effective strikes of his own, which can be seen in his strike differential of +4.19 per minute. He’s outstruck every opponent he’s faced inside the Octagon, earning differentials of +17, +18, +33, +65 and +72.
While the stats show these are two elite mixed martial artists, only one of them has showcased their talents against some of the toughest opposition the 135-pound division has to offer, and that’s Cory Sandhagen. While Nurmagomedov has cruised his way to the bantamweight Top 10, he hasn’t faced any Top 15 opposition in the UFC.
Meanwhile, Sandhagen has fought four former UFC champions, including Yan, Edgar, TJ Dillashaw and Aljamain Sterling. He’s also coming off three exceptional performances against former title challenger Marlon Vera, Song Yadong and Font, all of whom are currently ranked in the Top 10.
This pivotal matchup raises many questions, but fortunately, the sport of mixed martial arts ensures there’s a scheduled date to answer them all, and that’s this Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi!
Don't miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Nurmagomedov, live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on August 3, 2024. Prelims start at 12pm ET/9am PT, while the main card kicks off live on ABC, ESPN & ESPN+ at 3pm ET/12pm PT.
