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Cory Sandhagen understands his UFC Nashville win could not have lit the world on fireplace, however he’s additionally assured he made the perfect of the hand he was dealt.
Sandhagen defeated Rob Font in a one-sided contest in Saturday’s foremost occasion, outclassing Font in a wrestling-heavy choice that moved his present win streak to 3 straight. The efficiency drew loads of boos from the Nashville crowd, and the 2 bantamweights mixed to land the fourth-fewest significant strikes over a 25-minute struggle within the trendy UFC period. Sandhagen, nonetheless, had a reasonably first rate excuse: He suffered a completely torn tricep early within the opening spherical and is already scheduled for surgical procedure on Thursday.
Sandhagen mirrored on the powerful scenario on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour.
“There’s there’s two items there,” he acknowledged. “There’s the one piece the place it’s like, OK, I perceive that sports activities and leisure collide after we’re speaking in regards to the UFC, and in MMA normally. It’s not simply, like, who can play the perfect basketball? It’s like, who can play the perfect basketball and sort of be flashy whereas doing it? That’s what it’s, so I perceive that. I really feel like if I might have been extra entertaining, I positively would’ve shot for extra entertaining. On the time although, I simply wasn’t ready to make a ton of threat simply feeling like I used to be compromised.
“After which on prime of that, I really feel like I’d’ve simply been handing over a large benefit over to Rob had I simply saved it standing, as a result of the hole of me and Rob Font’s grappling is so extensive that it could’ve been — simply as a martial artist, it could’ve been so dumb to permit Rob to have any benefit once I’m that a lot better in one of many areas. That will virtually be like if I used to be taking part in basketball and Shaquille O’Neal is guarding me, and like, I attempted to publish up on him or I’m making an attempt to play within the paint with him. I’m not going to try this.
“I’m going to run across the perimeter and shoot threes if Shaq is the man that’s guarding me, as a result of he has a bonus there, particularly once I’m compromised. So no, man, that was sort of the way in which that I needed to deal with it so as to stroll out with the win.”
Sandhagen, 31, was initially set to face Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Nashville, nonetheless the undefeated rising contender withdrew in mid-July as a consequence of a shoulder damage, which led to Font stepping in on quick discover. Sandhagen stated he contemplated pulling out as effectively due to issues together with his elbow that hampered him all through his camp, however finally he wished to remain true to his phrase and do what he signed a contract to do.
With the win, Sandhagen stays one of many prime contenders within the UFC bantamweight division. He’s hopeful his efficiency gained’t affect his standing within the title chase.
“I truly already talked to Dana [White] about it,” Sandhagen stated. “I used to be like, ‘Hey man, this occurred, this occurred, I actually would’ve wished to open up much more however didn’t really feel comfy.’ And he was actual cool with it. He was wonderful with it. He simply instructed me to heal up and he was actual good about it.”
“There was simply no weirdness [from White],” Sandhagen added. “And in my final three opponents, I finished Song Yadong, who’s a really, excellent fighter and goes to proceed to show that he’s actually good fighter. I do know that he’s going to be top-of-the-line within the division sooner or later. I beat ‘Chito’ [Marlon Vera] by a mile and I beat Rob by two miles. You may’t actually make an excessive amount of of an argument that I don’t deserve the title shot subsequent.
“I do know that the final struggle took out possibly just a little little bit of momentum, however you consider the entire different issues outdoors of the struggle — and even contained in the struggle with the damage — and you may’t hate me an excessive amount of for for the way in which that the struggle performed out. I nonetheless 50-45’d top-of-the-line guys on the earth on a bum arm.”
Sandhagen additionally dismissed studies about White leaving his seat halfway by the fourth spherical of the struggle as a lot ado about nothing.
“I don’t know, I feel it’s most likely true if folks had been saying that, however that could possibly be for various causes,” Sandhagen stated. “That simply doesn’t should [be because of the fight]. He’s a busy dude and all of that. However yeah, once I talked to him, he was actual pleasant, actual good, was tremendous understanding, and there was no, ‘Hey, motherf*****, you need to’ve accomplished this.’ There was none of that. It was all understanding.”
Sandhagen stated he expects to be sidelined for no less than six months after surgical procedure. By the point he comes again, nonetheless, the UFC bantamweight division might look very, very completely different.
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is about to defend his title in opposition to Sean O’Malley subsequent Saturday at UFC 292. Sterling has teased {that a} transfer as much as 145 kilos could possibly be subsequent so as to clear the way in which for his good friend and teammate Merab Dvalishvili to problem for the belt, which would go away a cluster of contenders to vie for his or her possibilities to compete for a vacant title. With that in thoughts, Henry Cejudo was one in all a number of prime bantamweights to publicly thank Sandhagen after UFC Nashville for the unexciting efficiency.
Cejudo claimed that UFC Nashville all however ensured he’d be the one preventing Dvalishvili for the subsequent shot on the bantamweight strap. Unsurprisingly, Sandhagen disagrees.
“I don’t know, man. I sort of figured all of everybody else who has to make their arguments for preventing for the belt subsequent, I sort of figured that they’d assault the scenario,” Sandhagen stated. “However the scenario is what it’s, I did my greatest. Like I stated, I 50-45’d top-of-the-line guys on the earth who, on two and a half weeks’ discover, I needed to change a complete technique. Not a man in any respect that I used to be preparing for.
“And Henry can say what he needs, however he was granted a golden present by even getting the title shot initially anyhow, and he misplaced. So that you’re one or two fights behind now. I’m out for just a little bit, so fortunate for these guys, however I anticipate once I come again, I’ll be the subsequent man to struggle for the title.”
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