Cory Sandhagen, despite being booed and criticized after his underwhelming UFC Nashville win against Rob Font, defended his performance citing a fully torn tricep he sustained early in the fight, remains a top contender in the UFC bantamweight division, and is confident he deserves the next title shot after having beaten some of the best players.
Cory Sandhagen admits that his UFC Nashville win didn’t leave a major impression, but believes he played the best game given the circumstances at hand. His victory over Rob Font in a one-sided match in Saturday’s main event extended his current win streak to three in a row. The game was characterized by a significant amount of wrestling which wasn’t well received by the Nashville crowd. There were plenty of boos as the two bantamweights combined to land only the fourth-fewest significant strikes throughout a 25-minute fight during the modern UFC era. However, Sandhagen had a good reason for this. Early in the first round, he suffered a full tricep tear which has already been scheduled for surgery on Thursday.
In a Monday episode of The MMA Hour, Sandhagen reflected on the challenging situation. He explained there are two aspects to consider. The first is that sports and entertainment intersect in UFC and MMA, implying it’s necessary to excite the audience while performing optimally. Even though he understands this dynamic, he was unable to take substantial risks due to his compromised state. Additionally, he didn’t want to give Rob any advantage. Sandhagen compared this to playing basketball against Shaquille O’Neal, stating he would prefer to run around the perimeter and shoot threes instead of trying to post up against him.
Sandhagen, 31, was initially supposed to face Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Nashville. Unfortunately, Nurmagomedov had to withdraw in mid-July due to a shoulder injury which led to Rob Font stepping in on short notice. Sandhagen revealed that he thought about pulling out as well because of elbow complications but ultimately decided to honor his commitment. Despite the setbacks and the less than stellar performance, Sandhagen is hopeful for his position in the UFC bantamweight division title chase.
After the game, Sandhagen had a conversation with Dana White about his performance. He revealed that he would’ve wanted to perform better but felt uncomfortable due to his injury. To his relief, White was understanding and advised him to heal up. Sandhagen added that he anticipates at least six months of downtime following his surgery but expects the UFC bantamweight division to look very different by the time he returns.