Cory Sandhagen reflects on his loss to Umar Nurmagomedov, attributing it to overthinking and frustration, and is determined to deliver a dominant performance against Deiveson Figueiredo in his upcoming fight to secure a title shot.
Cory Sandhagen isn’t one to dwell on the past, but he can’t shake the regret from his fight against Umar Nurmagomedov. He lost by unanimous decision to the skilled Russian bantamweight. While he acknowledges Nurmagomedov’s performance, Sandhagen also blames himself for overthinking rather than reacting in the octagon.
“The fight with Umar, I feel like frustration got the better of me,” Sandhagen shared with MMA Fighting. He approached the fight expecting Nurmagomedov to be elusive, which only fueled his frustration when his hard training didn’t pay off as anticipated. This mindset spiraled out of control.
Straying from his natural style cost him dearly. “When you veer from your true way of winning, it rarely ends well against top fighters,” he reflected. Sandhagen knew the score would be tight and believed significant shots would decide the bout. Yet, he failed to capitalize on openings.
Instead of sticking to his usual game plan, he forced plays that weren’t there. “Forcing things against skilled opponents doesn’t work,” he admitted. Watching the close rounds back, Sandhagen kicks himself for not doing a few things differently.
Despite the loss, there’s a silver lining—Sandhagen is determined to avoid repeating history. He’s set to face Deiveson Figueiredo in UFC Des Moines’ main event on May 3rd and vows not to hold back this time.
“I’m challenging myself to make a statement,” Sandhagen declared. Training hard between fights with Trevor Wittman and honing his grappling skills have been priorities. His disdain for losing drives him to shine brighter than ever.
He hasn’t delivered a memorable performance in years, which fuels his desire to impress against Figueiredo and erase recent disappointments. “I haven’t had a solid win in ages,” Sandhagen confessed, recalling criticism for his last victory despite an injury.
The timing adds motivation—the fight is just before Merab Dvalishvili‘s title rematch with Sean O’Malley. A standout performance could position Sandhagen as a contender for the title shot.
“I can’t express how excited I am,” he said eagerly. “I’m ready to perform at my best and finish Figueiredo.” Sandhagen aims to look like a true champion and earn his shot at the title with an impressive display. He’s pumped and ready to seize the moment.