Umar Nurmagomedov is itching for a showdown with Cory Sandhagen. This comes right after his victory over Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Fight Night 238. Boy, that was a match to remember.
In the fight, Nurmagomedov found himself in hot water early on. He got dropped in the first round but, man, did he bounce back. He managed to secure a unanimous decision win, dominating the Kazakh newcomer. This guy, Almakhan, wasn’t just any fighter; he came in on an eight-fight tear, with seven of those wins by finish. Nurmagomedov, though, he wasn’t too fussed about not getting a finish himself.
Post-fight, he shared his game plan. “When I’m going inside cage it was father plan: we gonna take him down, try to finish him but finish not work,” he explained. He admitted the finish didn’t come as planned because Almakhan was just that tough. But, it’s all good.
Then, the call-out. Nurmagomedov set his sights on Sandhagen, a fight that was supposed to happen last July. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury sidelined him. Addressing rumors of frequent pullouts, Nurmagomedov clarified his stance. He’s only backed out due to health issues twice. Once was a severe illness, and the other was the shoulder injury. He stressed that other cancellations were beyond his control, like the pandemic or his uncle Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s passing.
“Everybody talk about my pullouts…In my life, I pull out, for me, because of health two times,” he stated. He recounted the tough times and his eagerness to face Sandhagen, dismissing claims of frequent withdrawals.
Nurmagomedov is all in for a fight with Sandhagen, especially after some back-and-forth between them. “Cory Sandhagen, he talk about me, International Fight Day [Week] he wanna fight, let’s go,” he declared. It seems like the stage is set for an epic clash. Let’s see if it happens.