Bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov is targeting a June return to action and hopes to secure a fight with Cory Sandhagen, with both fighters expressing interest in the matchup.
Umar Nurmagomedov is itching for his next fight. He’s got his sights set on June.
He’s a bantamweight contender worth watching. And he’s got Cory Sandhagen in his crosshairs.
Both fighters are game. They were supposed to duke it out last August, but a shoulder injury sidelined Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov’s fresh off a win against Bekzat Almakhan. His management’s already talking to the UFC about the Sandhagen fight. He’s pretty sure it’s gonna happen.
“We’re just talking about this fight right now with UFC,” Nurmagomedov told MMA Fighting. His manager’s in talks with the UFC. They’re hashing out the date.
June’s looking good. Maybe the 8th, maybe the 29th, or some other date. Doesn’t matter to him. He’s ready to fight anytime.
The ball’s in the UFC’s court. He hopes the fight with Cory happens. Both fighters have talked about it, and so has the UFC. Now, it’s just a waiting game.
The UFC’s got a busy June. UFC 302 on June 1, a UFC Fight Night on June 8, a card in Saudi Arabia on June 22, and UFC 303 on June 29.
Sandhagen wants the fight at UFC 303. That’s cool with Nurmagomedov. He even suggested sharing the card with his teammate, UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev.
Nurmagomedov wants a five-round fight with Sandhagen. But he’s open to whatever the UFC decides.
“Of course, I want to share a card with Islam,” Nurmagomedov said. He considers Islam his big brother. It’d be great to have the team close by. Friends and brothers would come to watch.
The only question is how many rounds he’ll fight. If it’s not the main event, he still wants five rounds. He needs to test himself before a title fight. But he’s flexible.
Nurmagomedov sees Sandhagen as a stepping stone in the bantamweight division. He respects Sandhagen’s technical and smart fighting style.
“I think me and him, we’re going to show one of the best fights and a good performance, I hope,” he said.
On paper, it’s a classic grappler versus striker matchup. But both fighters have more to their game. Nurmagomedov, though, plans to play to his strengths.
“I think I can beat him in the striking, too, but why give him a chance?” Nurmagomedov said. He’d rather take Sandhagen down and dominate him.
If he gets the fight, Nurmagomedov thinks the winner should be the No. 1 contender. He expects Merab Dvalishvili to fight champion Sean O’Malley next. But after that, he sees no other option.
“Who else [is there]?” Nurmagomedov said. “Me and Cory, who else?”