Will Cory Sandhagen be a UFC bantamweight champion? As a fan, I believe it’s very possible, even though he just lost this past weekend to the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision. Sandhagen was able to negate most of Nurmagomedov’s wrestling and held his own in the striking department. However, Nurmagomedov was just a step ahead in both wrestling and striking exchanges. Cory Sandhagen has faced the best of the best but sometimes falls short in the most crucial fights that could move him one step closer to becoming the undisputed UFC bantamweight champion. If he had beaten Nurmagomedov this past weekend, he would undoubtedly be fighting for the championship belt. However, since he lost, he finds himself in a bit of a stalemate. He is currently ranked #4, probably just one win away from another title eliminator. But what opponent would get him there? He has already beaten #7 Marlon Vera, #8 Song Yadong, #10 Rob Font, and #12 Mario Bautista. A rematch with any of those fighters likely wouldn’t advance his position. This leaves Petr Yan, who is currently ranked #3, but Sandhagen already lost to Yan, so it’s unlikely the UFC would book that rematch.
Another intriguing matchup for Sandhagen could be Deiveson Figueiredo, who is currently ranked #5. However, I believe the UFC might either give Figueiredo a title shot or have him fight Petr Yan, so that option might not be available for Sandhagen. I think Sandhagen’s best options are the loser of the Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili fight, former champ Henry Cejudo, or Kyler Phillips. With all this being said, I believe Sandhagen is one or two fights away from fighting for a championship belt. He may need to wait and see how the division plays out or find the perfect timing. I do believe Cory Sandhagen has what it takes to be a champion.
BIASMMA 