Cory Sandhagen understands his UFC Nashville win could not have lit the world on hearth, however he’s additionally assured he made the very best of the hand he was dealt.
Sandhagen defeated Rob Font in a one-sided contest in Saturday’s predominant occasion, outclassing Font in a wrestling-heavy resolution that moved his present win streak to 3 straight. The efficiency drew loads of boos from the Nashville crowd, and the 2 bantamweights mixed to land the fourth-fewest important strikes over a 25-minute combat within the fashionable UFC period. Sandhagen, nonetheless, had a reasonably first rate excuse: He suffered a totally torn tricep early within the opening spherical and is already scheduled for surgical procedure on Thursday.
Sandhagen mirrored on the powerful state of affairs on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour.
“There’s there’s two items there,” he acknowledged. “There’s the one piece the place it’s like, OK, I perceive that sports activities and leisure collide after we’re speaking concerning the UFC, and in MMA usually. It’s not simply, like, who can play the very best basketball? It’s like, who can play the very best basketball and sort of be flashy whereas doing it? That’s what it’s, so I perceive that. I really feel like if I might have been extra entertaining, I undoubtedly would’ve shot for extra entertaining. On the time although, I simply wasn’t ready to make a ton of danger simply feeling like I used to be compromised.
“After which on prime of that, I really feel like I’d’ve simply been handing over an enormous benefit over to Rob had I simply stored it standing, as a result of the hole of me and Rob Font’s grappling is so extensive that it could’ve been — simply as a martial artist, it could’ve been so dumb to permit Rob to have any benefit once I’m that significantly better in one of many areas. That may virtually be like if I used to be taking part in basketball and Shaquille O’Neal is guarding me, and like, I attempted to publish up on him or I’m attempting to play within the paint with him. I’m not going to try this.
“I’m going to run across the perimeter and shoot threes if Shaq is the man that’s guarding me, as a result of he has a bonus there, particularly once I’m compromised. So no, man, that was sort of the best way that I needed to deal with it with the intention to stroll out with the win.”
Sandhagen, 31, was initially set to face Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Nashville, nonetheless the undefeated rising contender withdrew in mid-July as a consequence of a shoulder damage, which led to Font stepping in on quick discover. Sandhagen stated he contemplated pulling out as nicely due to issues together with his elbow that hampered him all through his camp, however in the end he wished to remain true to his phrase and do what he signed a contract to do.
With the win, Sandhagen stays one of many prime contenders within the UFC bantamweight division. He’s hopeful his efficiency gained’t affect his standing within the title chase.
“I truly already talked to Dana [White] about it,” Sandhagen stated. “I used to be like, ‘Hey man, this occurred, this occurred, I actually would’ve wished to open up much more however didn’t really feel comfy.’ And he was actual cool with it. He was positive with it. He simply informed me to heal up and he was actual good about it.”
“There was simply no weirdness [from White],” Sandhagen added. “And in my final three opponents, I ended Tune Yadong, who’s a really, superb fighter and goes to proceed to show that he’s actually good fighter. I do know that he’s going to be the most effective within the division sooner or later. I beat ‘Chito’ [Marlon Vera] by a mile and I beat Rob by two miles. You may’t actually make an excessive amount of of an argument that I don’t deserve the title shot subsequent.
“I do know that the final combat took out perhaps just a little little bit of momentum, however you consider the entire different issues exterior of the combat — and even contained in the combat with the damage — and you’ll’t hate me an excessive amount of for for the best way that the combat performed out. I nonetheless 50-45’d the most effective guys on the planet on a bum arm.”
Sandhagen additionally dismissed experiences about White leaving his seat halfway by means of the fourth spherical of the combat as a lot ado about nothing.
“I don’t know, I feel it’s most likely true if folks have been saying that, however that may very well be for plenty of causes,” Sandhagen stated. “That simply doesn’t need to [be because of the fight]. He’s a busy dude and all of that. However yeah, once I talked to him, he was actual pleasant, actual good, was tremendous understanding, and there was no, ‘Hey, motherf*****, it’s best to’ve carried out this.’ There was none of that. It was all understanding.”
Sandhagen stated he expects to be sidelined for not less than six months after surgical procedure. By the point he comes again, nonetheless, the UFC bantamweight division might look very, very totally different.
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is ready to defend his title towards Sean O’Malley subsequent Saturday at UFC 292. Sterling has teased {that a} transfer as much as 145 kilos may very well be subsequent with the intention to clear the best way for his good friend and teammate Merab Dvalishvili to problem for the belt, which would go away a cluster of contenders to vie for his or her possibilities to compete for a vacant title. With that in thoughts, Henry Cejudo was one in every of a number of prime bantamweights to publicly thank Sandhagen after UFC Nashville for the unexciting efficiency.
Cejudo claimed that UFC Nashville all however ensured he’d be the one combating Dvalishvili for the subsequent shot on the bantamweight strap. Unsurprisingly, Sandhagen disagrees.
“I don’t know, man. I sort of figured all of everybody else who has to make their arguments for combating for the belt subsequent, I sort of figured that they’d assault the state of affairs,” Sandhagen stated. “However the state of affairs is what it’s, I did my greatest. Like I stated, I 50-45’d the most effective guys on the planet who, on two and a half weeks’ discover, I needed to change a whole technique. Not a man in any respect that I used to be preparing for.
“And Henry can say what he needs, however he was granted a golden reward by even getting the title shot initially anyhow, and he misplaced. So that you’re one or two fights behind now. I’m out for just a little bit, so fortunate for these guys, however I anticipate once I come again, I’ll be the subsequent man to combat for the title.”
