In his first UFC main event, Umar Nurmagomedov soundly defeated Cory Sandhagen over the course of 25 minutes, and he didn't even really need to wrestle to do it.
Nurmagomedov (18-0), the younger cousin of retired legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, earned a unanimous decision, winning by scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46. The No. 1 contender bout at 135 pounds headlined UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The victory almost certainly earns him a future title shot at 135 pounds, against the winner of a September title fight between champion Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.
"I don't worry who is going to win [between those two]," Nurmagomedov said. "It doesn't matter. Just give me title shot. O'Malley, Merab, someone else, it doesn't matter. Now, talk about how I haven't beat anybody. Cory was [ranked No. 2]. Now you can cry. I'm coming for you."
Nurmagomedov's Striking Dominance
Wrestling was very much part of Nurmagomedov's game plan, as it always is, but he looked more than comfortable against Sandhagen (17-5) on the feet. Sandhagen, who is viewed as one of the most dynamic strikers in the division, did an excellent job of stuffing takedowns and getting back to his feet in scrambles, but he had his hands full on the feet.
Nurmagomedov countered Sandhagen well all five rounds, landing quick, explosive hooks on the inside any time Sandhagen got caught reaching. Sandhagen did well targeting Nurmagomedov's legs with kicks, but Nurmagomedov outstruck him 116-77 and bloodied his right eye in the second round.
Nurmagomedov's Consistent Pressure
And almost simply to remove any drama from the scorecards, Nurmagomedov converted at least one takedown in all five rounds, usually near the end of the frame.
"I have to believe in my striking," Nurmagomedov said. "Second round, I began to feel that I can beat him in the striking, too. And I did this."
Nurmagomedov should fly up the bantamweight rankings with the victory. His older cousin Khabib was in his corner, as well as his brother Usman Nurmagomedov, who is an undefeated lightweight champion for Bellator MMA.
UFC Abu Dhabi: A Night of Thrilling Fights
The UFC has a new contender in the bantamweight division. That fighter, Umar Nurmagomedov, entered Saturday’s UFC Abu Dhabi card as the No. 10 competitor in the promotion’s 135-pound division. He’ll move up those rankings next week after his Fight Night win over the No. 2 ranked Cory Sandhagen.
Nurmagomedov and his team, which includes his cousin, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, did a masterful job in Abu Dhabi. They put together an excellent game plan, adjusted well in fight, and kept their fighter, who entered the bout at 17-0 without UFC main event experience, on task for 25 minutes. Nurmagomedov, at 28, is just six fights into his UFC career, but he looks the part of a future champion. At the very least, he is a future title challenger. And that won’t happen too long into the future.
In the evening’s co-main event of Saturday’s Fight Night card, the heavily hyped Shara “Bullet” Magomedov continued his unbeaten UFC run with a dominant win over Michal Oleksiejczuk in a short-notice middleweight contest.
Meanwhile, former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo picked up an important bantamweight victory by defeating recent title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera.
A Night of Wins and Losses
Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov: A Close Encounter
Sandhagen did an admirable job of putting pressure on Nurmagomedov and taxing his overall skills. One issue with Sandhagen’s pressure was that it did not lead to a lot of damage. Another problem was that when Sandhagen increased his pressure, Nurmagomedov was able to land counter strikes with authority.
Sandhagen avoided making mistakes by taking unnecessary chances and risks on Saturday, but he did not have enough to beat the surging Nurmagomedov.
As for Nurmagomedov, his win over Sandhagen should answer any questions about his upside. There was criticism that he had not defeated anyone of note before UFC Abu Dhabi, but with a dominant win over the number two-ranked bantamweight, those questions should be put to rest.
On Saturday, Nurmagomedov looked the part of a future champion. He went five rounds, never lost his cool, stayed within himself, and stuck to a strong game plan. He is going to be a hard fighter to beat.
Shara "Bullet" Magomedov: A Promising Future
The jury is out on just how high Shara Magomedov can climb in the UFC, but he looked very good on Saturday in picking up a decision win over Michal Oleksiejczuk in a short-notice contest.
Magomedov spent most of the fight backing up, but he was incredibly comfortable fighting from there. He mixed up his targets and techniques while putting a lot of damage on Oleksiejczuk, plus he never faded even though Oleksiejczuk pressured him for almost the entire 15-minute scrap.
Magomedov is an effective striker, but his willingness to allow his opponent to dictate where the fight takes place could be a problem when he faces higher-level competition under the UFC banner.
With the win, Magomedov is 3-0 in the UFC.
Deiveson Figueiredo: Back in the Title Picture
Deiveson Figueiredo scored the biggest win of his UFC bantamweight run on Saturday, cruising to a decision win over former 135-pound title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera. With the win, Figueiredo moved to 3-0 in the bantamweight division, calling for a title shot in his next outing.
Figueiredo, a former UFC flyweight champion, used a solid mix of wrestling and striking to pick up the win, becoming the first fighter to score a knockdown on the resilient Vera in the process.
The Rest of the Card: A Mixed Bag of Results
Michael Chiesa: Patience, poise and technique came together for Michael Chiesa on Saturday against Tony Ferguson.Chiesa waited to find a spot to land a takedown against the slumping Ferguson, and once he put the fight on the mat, Chiesa slickly took Ferguson’s back and locked in a rear-naked choke that ended the bout at 3:44 of Round 1. Chiesa ended a three-fight losing skid with the win, picking up his first victory since he downed Neil Magny in Abu Dhabi in 2021.
Bonus points for Chiesa giving his time on the mic to Ferguson after his victory.
Mackenzie Dern: If Mackenzie Dern had takedowns to complement her mat skills, she would be dangerous. However, at 31 and with 19 pro MMA fights to her name, it’s not likely that she will develop those skills. With that, Dern is a flawed fighter. She has good striking when she’s moving forward, but when she backs up, she keeps her chin too high, which allows her foes to score with strikes.
The days of discussing Dern as a potential title challenger are in the past.
Yes, she won on Saturday, ending a two-fight losing streak, but it’s questionable how much this victory will help her.
Joel Alvarez: Joel Alvarez put together an excellent performance in dispatching Elves Brenner in the third round of their lightweight scrap. Alvarez, who had not fought since a July 2023 submission win over Marc Diakiese, was focused and patient throughout the scrap. He used his length and power well and did a fantastic job mixing his techniques and targets. He also forced Brenner to fight at his pace.
When Alvarez had Brenner hurt in the third stanza, he showed excellent finishing instincts, unloading a litany of knees that overwhelmed his opponent.
Alvarez is 6-2 in the UFC with six finishes.
Azamat Murzakanov: Azamat Murzakanov kept his perfect record intact, moving to 14-0 with 10 knockouts with a nasty stoppage win over Alonzo Menifield in the closing fight of the UFC Abu Dhabi prelims.
Murzakanov, who had a reach deficit, used his speed, technical skills, and target selection to piece up Alonzo Menifield on the feet. Then, with his foe slowing and getting a bit sloppy trying to land big blows, Murzakanov dropped and finshed the scrap in the second round.
Murzakanov had been out of action for more than a year before Saturday’s fight card. He entered the bout as the No. 14-ranked UFC light heavyweight. After the win, he requested a matchup with an opponent ranked inside the top five.
Kaue Fernandes: Kaue Fernandes’ game plan for Mohammad Yahya worked perfectly. That plan was to attack the lead leg with calf kicks and then go up high when Yahya was focused on staying on his feet. Fernandes’ leg attacks led to a knockout win when he dropped Yahya with a nasty punch. With the win, Fernandes moved to 1-1 in the UFC.
Guram Kutateladze: Experience, tenacity, and fight IQ helped Guram Kutateladze pick up a hard-fought decision win over Jordan Vucenic. Kutateladze had a rough first round but bounced back and took control of the fight, never easing up and getting the win. The victory ended a two-fight losing skid for the 32-year-old.
Sam Hughes: Sam Hughes picked up a split decision win over Victoria Dudakova with accuracy, takedown defense and cardio. Hughes has some work to do with her movement on the feet, but she is active and tough, which helped her in this matchup.
Jai Herbert: Jai Herbert’s boxing was crisp and clean as he fought Rolando Bedoya behind a good jab. Herbert was also aggressive but controlled in that aggression, at least for the first 10 minutes of the welterweight bout. Light on his feet, Herbert showcased good movement and speed. He also did a nice job of not accepting the position when Bedoya closed distance and looked to fight in the clinch. However, one mark against Herbert in the third round was that he seemed to retreat for most of the final five minutes.
Sedriques Dumas: Sedriques Dumas and his team devised a good plan for Dumas’ middleweight scrap with Denis Tiuliulin. That plan was to fight at distance on the feet, using jabs and kicks to keep Tiuliulin away and then shooting takedowns when an opening presented itself. Then, when the fight was on the mat, the goal was control over damage. It was not the most exciting scheme, and it was risky since damage was not high on the to-do list. Dumas picked up the decision win.
A Night of Ups and Downs: Who Stood Out
Shara Magomedov: Calling out Nick Diaz is not a way to move up the rankings, but that’s what Magomedov did, while also calling Diaz old. That was not a good call out.
Michal Oleksiejczuk: Michal Oleksiejczuk did a good job of pushing forward and making Shara Magomedov fight off his back foot throughout their middleweight bout, but the problem with that was that Magomedov was excellent fighting in that style. Oleksiejczuk absorbed a lot of damage in the scrap. With the loss, Oleksiejczuk is on a three-fight losing skid.
Marlon "Chito" Vera: Once again, Marlon Vera started slowly, and once again, that lackadaisical approach cost him as he dropped a decision to Deiveson Figueiredo in Abu Dhabi. Vera also failed to take advantage of his height and reach advantages in this scrap, allowing Figueiredo to set the pace and determine the location of the action. Vera needs to be more aggressive from the opening of his fights if he hopes to get back into the title picture at 135 pounds.
Tony Ferguson: Tony Ferguson dropped his eighth straight UFC fight on Saturday. Once one of the most feared fighters in the UFC, Ferguson should retire.
Loopy Godinez: Loopy Godinez is on the first losing skid of her career after dropping a decision to Mackenzie Dern on Saturday. Godinez fought behind a high guard, which seemed to draw Dern in and allow Godinez to score with counters, but she also allowed Dern to land through that guard. Dern was just more active throughout the fight.
Elves Brenner: Elves Brenner could not get close enough to the lanky Joel Alvarez to do significant damage. When he did manage to get in tight, Brenner could not get his longer opponent to the mat. To make matters worse, Brenner allowed his opponent to control the pace and location of the fight. With the knockout loss, Brenner is now on a two-fight losing skid.
Alonzo Menifield: Alonzo Menifield proved he can take a shot and keep coming, but his striking offense was labored and slow, especially in the second round on Saturday. With his loss to Azamat Murzakanov, Menifield has been knocked out in his past two outings.
Jordan Vucenic: Jordan Vucenic, a former Cage Warriors champion, signed with the UFC on short notice to face Guram Kutateladze at UFC Abu Dhabi. He looked good in the early going of the lightweight scrap, but he allowed his opponent back in the fight.
Some fault for the loss might be placed at the feet of Vucenic’s corner, as they reportedly told him he was up 2-0 after the second round, which might have caused him to be less aggressive in the third stanza. Overall, this was a good showing for Vucenic, and he’s someone to keep an eye on.
Victoria Dudakova: If Victoria Dudakova had been just a bit better in her striking, cardio and completing takedowns she might have defeated Sam Hughes. However, Hughes picked up a split decision win, handing Dudakova her first career loss, dropping her to 8-1.
Rolando Bedoya: Rolando Bedoya struggled at distance throughout his welterweight matchup with Jai Herbert. The reason for his troubles was Herbert's boxing. Bedoya's kicks were landing, which were there to slow Herbert's movement, but he could never figure out the speed and timing of his foe, nor could he keep Herbert close to where Bedoya could have scored. Bedoya dropped from welterweight to lightweight after a 0-2 start with the UFC for this fight. He is now 0-3 with the promotion, and that's not a good record for a fighter looking to stay with the promotion.
Denis Tiuliulin: Denis Tiuliulin was 1-4 in the UFC with four stoppage defeats. For someone with 19 pro fights to his name, Tiuliulin's wrestling was extremely underdeveloped. Whenever Dumas scored a takedown, Tiuliulin almost immediately glanced up at the ref, seeming to implore him to put the fighters back on their feet. That lack of wrestling cost him the fight and moved his losing skid to four straight. Seeing the UFC cut ties with Tiuliulin won't be a surprise.
UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi: Main Event Analysis
Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov: It's hard to root against Sandhagen but Nurmagomedov is a tall order for anyone. Sandhagen is a brilliant, thoughtful striker, but his dynamic style can put him in dangerous positions. By contrast, Nurmagomedov rarely makes errors. Sandhagen's experience will be crucial. The American fighter has faced multiple UFC champions and his last five fights have lasted between 20 and 25 minutes. Nurmagomedov has hardly faced Top 15 UFC fighters and never exceeded 15 minutes. I don't suspect stamina will be an issue for either fighter. Sandhagen is battle tested and Nurmagomedov's camp is renowned for its endurance and grueling training style. Sandhagen will make crucial adjustments as the fight unravels and teach Nurmagomedov some valuable lessons; however, I anticipate Nurmagomedov's dominant grappling and razor-sharp striking defense will earn him a competitive decision win. Nurmagomedov via Unanimous Decision
