UFC Fight Night Odds, Prediction: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
This is a title eliminator fight and could earn the winner No. 1 contender status and a shot at the bantamweight belt.
The undefeated Urmagomedov opened as a sizeable -300 favourite to win on the MMA odds, while Sandhagen is a +240 underdog.
Cory Sandhagen UFC Fight Night Odds
Sandhagen is 17-4 in a professional MMA career that dates back to 2015. A former SCL featherweight champion, the 32-year-old Colorado native returned to bantamweight in his second UFC fight in 2018 and he is 10-3 overall in the Octagon. Since losing a shot at the interim bantamweight title against Petr Yan three years ago, Sandhagen has rattled off three straight victories over Song Yadong, Marlon Vera and Rob Font.
“The Sandman” mixed things up with his training camp prior to this fight, working on his striking with Trevor Wittman, who helped both Rose Namajunas and Kamaru Usman win UFC championships. It make sense for Sandhagen to focus on striking as a majority of his wins have come by knockout (7) or decision (7), while Nurmagomedov excels on the mat.
Another focus for Sandhagen should be on his takedown defence, which is a solid 64 per cent, although that’s inflated by a fight against T.J. Dillashaw in which Sandhagen defended 17 of 19 takedowns. Sandhagen’s best strategy is to keep this fight standing up and try to land a heavy shot as Nurmagomedov goes for a takedown.
Umar Nurmagomedov UFC Fight Night Odds
Nurmagomedov, cousin of legendary UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov, is a perfect 17-0 since his professional MMA debut in 2016. He debuted in the UFC in 2021, the year after Khabib’s retirement, and he has since gone 5-0 in the Octagon, with three finishes and two decision victories. This fight was actually scheduled to happen a year ago, but Nurmagomedov withdrew because of a shoulder injury.
Like his opponent, “Young Eagle” has flip-flopped between featherweight and bantamweight, but the 135-pound division is his focus. Injuries have slowed Nurmagomedov’s ascent up the bantamweight ladder, but this is a matchup that is designed to move him into contender status.
Nurmagomedov is an elite wrestler and he’ll spend this fight hunting for takedowns. His average of 4.51 takedowns per 15 minutes is a higher number than Sandhagen has ever faced, so it will be interesting to see which fighters’ strategy wins out. Keep in mind, Nurmagomedov lands nearly as many significant strikes as Sandhagen and he’s actually a more accurate striker, so he’ll have the overall edge in this fight.
UFC Fight Night Prediction: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
In my mind you’d be crazy to go against an undefeated fighter with the last name Nurmagomedov. Give me Khabib’s cousin to win by submission (+275).
