News Cory Sandhagen vs Umar Nurmagomedov set to headline UFC Abu Dhabi on August 3

[xhaydenx]

You're gonna be crying even more than usual.

We'll see, Sherbro.

Might not be so easy for Umar when he's not up against regional cans making their debut and unranked fighters.

 

[Kb7]

Yeh, he's fighting someone ranked in the top 3 now, and if he wrecks Cory, then obviously he deserves to be up there, but that's not the point here, and I'm not moving goalposts for Umar specifically. It applies to everyone.

I don't need to see him beat 5+ ranked fighters in the top 5, and yes, you don't see that. You know what else you don't see? A fighter suddenly moving up the ranks to 9th off of absolutely 0 ranked wins and then skipping almost the entire division and fighting number 3.

Alex got to do a big jump from Bruno to 4th Strickland, but Alex was unranked coming into that. They weren't giving him some bullshit 9th rank off no ranked wins like they have Umar.

The Pantoja comparison doesn't work. They needed someone for Pantoja to fight in Brazil and the division was in a stuck spot with some fights falling through here and there and Kape failing to pan out, which is what they clearly wanted. There weren't many options. Umar has had plenty of options. He could have fought a couple of guys in the 15-5 range. He never did that. All he's done was get undeserved ranks while fighting no ranks and whining that the champ and the top 5 won't suddenly bow down and fight him until someone at the top finally agreed to fight him.

Well at this point I gave up on a rankings and ranked wins, I just want good fights, that’s all I ever wanted and enjoyed about MMA from the time I watched this sport as TUF newb in 05-06. Umar vs Sandhagen is a great fight, no matter what their place in rankings are.

I just find it frustrating everyone is so hung up on rankings and who X fight beat, instead of enjoying bouts that are announce.

Merab is getting the next shot, Sandhagen probably would’ve had to take another bout anyway in the meantime. Aside from Figueiredo, no one else makes sense for Sandhagen. Cejudo just lost a title contenders bout, Yan is only on a one fight win streak and lost to O’Malley. Font, Dong & Vera though in the “rankings” are not valuable options for Sandhagen or O’Malley. Like I said, i rather a Jose Aldo vs Sandhagen or OkMalley at his point.

 

[Kb7]

We'll see, Sherbro.

Might not be so easy for Umar when he's not up against regional cans making their debut and unranked fighters.

It’s in AbuDhabi, given what all the Dagestan/Russian/Muslim haters has conspiracies, Sandhagen is probably going to lose because Umar will come in at 200lbs, IV To rehydrate his cut from 300lbs, Judges will probably give alll the rounds and refs will let him cheat because it’s in the UAE.

 

[fortheo]

He’s fighting someone ranked, top 3 in the division. If Sandhagen washes Nurmagomedov then the hate can be warranted that he didn’t deserve the shot at someone so high in the rankings, but if Umar dismantles Sandhagen? What’s next in the goal moving agenda? He didn’t beat 5+ ranked fighters in the top 5?you barely see that , Pantoja just fought the number 10th ranked in his division.

At this point, just enjoy the fights. Rankings literally don’t mean shit, nowadays the fighters are so skilled that anyone in the top 15 can beat each other especially 155 and under.

Similar circumstances to Khabib, Islam, O’Malley, Pereira.

There is only a few who wrecks their division towards a title shot or the higher echelon of their division. Holloway, Pantoja, GSP are the only notable Names I can think of, other than that it’s all circumstances

I don't think the point is whether or not he can actually beat sandhagen, the point is he's skipping the journey and just going to the destination, when the journey is often where we learn the most about a fighter and often where most fighters trip up. Going from Almakhan to Sandhagen is very much skipping the journey, thus skipping many potential fuck ups. It is just more deserved when fighters go the typical, step by step, hard route to the top. Umar is very, very privileged in this situation.

Again though, I'm fine with this fight and excited to see it, but nobody in their right mind can argue that Umar deserves this fight based off sporting accomplishments, regardless of whether he wins or not.

 

[sonhow]

Ladies and gentlemen
The party h-has j-just begun

Umar by dec

 

[Kb7]

I don't think the point is whether or not he can actually beat sandhagen, the point is he's skipping the journey and just going to the destination, when the journey is often where we learn the most about a fighter and often where most fighters trip up. Going from Almakhan to Sandhagen is very much skipping the journey, thus skipping many potential fuck ups. It is just more deserved when fighters go the typical, step by step, hard route to the top. Umar is very, very privileged in this situation.

Again though, I'm fine with this fight and excited to see it, but nobody in their right mind can argue that Umar deserves this fight based off sporting accomplishments, regardless of whether he wins or not.

While I agree with you, it would’ve been nice to see Umar fight fighters in the top but at this point this clearly a business move on the UFC’s part, I don’t fault them for it, though it may upset fans. The only fight Sandgen has left imo, is Figueiredo, everyone else either he beat or just lost. Umar on the other hand is getting fast tracked, that I can agree, but maybe im just desensitized with how the UFC has been handinling their match making, Oliviera didn’t deserve a shot at Makhachev in October 23, Gaethje should’ve got it, that could’ve fixed the whole LW situation their in right now where Makhachev is getting blamed for it. France, Mokaev or Albanian should’ve gotten this shot against Pantoja, Bella deserves Leon, Jones should fight Aspinall. Etc. the matchmaking is all over the place and the results and excitement that UFC 300 put out will only make it worst.

If there’s one thing UFC fighters should learn at this point, performances matter, especially on the biggest stages.

 

[xhaydenx]

Well at this point I gave up on a rankings and ranked wins, I just want good fights, that’s all I ever wanted and enjoyed about MMA from the time I watched this sport as TUF newb in 05-06. Umar vs Sandhagen is a great fight, no matter what their place in rankings are.

I just find it frustrating everyone is so hung up on rankings and who X fight beat, instead of enjoying bouts that are announce.

Merab is getting the next shot, Sandhagen probably would’ve had to take another bout anyway in the meantime. Aside from Figueiredo, no one else makes sense for Sandhagen. Cejudo just lost a title contenders bout, Yan is only on a one fight win streak and lost to O’Malley. Font, Dong & Vera though in the “rankings” are not valuable options for Sandhagen or O’Malley. Like I said, i rather a Jose Aldo vs Sandhagen or OkMalley at his point.

I think rankings have to be respected to a point. Doesn't need to be the most rigid thing ever, but the favortisim they're giving Umar is just too much for me.

I'd have rather seen Umar fight Mario and then Kyler, who should be ranked 9th where Umar is. So dumb to me that Kyler has 2 ranked wins and is 10th, while Umar has none and is 9th lol. If Cory was happy to fight down in the rankings and everyone right below him was either injured or he'd already beat them, it should have went to Kyler while Umar fought Mario.

The rankings are a mess in general. Cejudo has moved up 3 spots despite going 0-2 since 2020 lol.

 

[Koala]

Best fight night main event for ages
lol at people freaking out about the rankings while #10 FW fought for the belt two days ago and no one wants to fight Nurmagomedov

 

[Kb7]

Best fight night main event for ages
lol at people freaking out about the rankings while #10 FW fought for the belt two days ago and no one wants to fight Nurmagomedov

A certsin K-9 by the name of a Conan thinks the number 4 Lightweight doesn’t deserve a fight with Makhachev, but number 10 Erceg did with Pantoja. Umar is jumping the line, sure really their is no one else available for Sandhagen, and Umar is the best name to headline a card out in the land of happy scales

 

[Elvis.]

Excellent fight , Sandman wants to fight the guy everyone else is avoiding , you have to respect the guy

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Excellent fight , Sandman wants to fight the guy everyone else is avoiding , you have to respect the guy

Is this even true that everyone else is avoiding him? I remember saying some high rank guy will probably fight Umar despite him being #13 just a few weeks ago and here we are.

Bantamweight does not have much ducking in it. It is pretty regular for the weight classes below 155 to fight whoever despite their ranking.

 

[Hdfi]

Sherdog: Umar hasn’t fought anyone

Vegas: we’re making Umar a -300 favorite vs Sandhagen

because the fight is in Abu Dhabi. Sandhagen would be a favorite in the USA...

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

I think Corey drags Umar into deep waters and finishes him late.

 

[Steve Fox]

Love this fight. Can't wait to see it. Umar will shut up a lot of doubters.

I don't think Umar has a lot of doubters. People are just sick of the Dagestani wrestling antics.

 

[Kb7]

I don't think Umar has a lot of doubters. People are just sick of the Dagestani wrestling antics.

Wrestling antics? Like what? Taking their opponents and finishing via sub or tko?

 

[Steve Fox]

Wrestling antics? Like what? Taking their opponents and finishing via sub or tko?

The Nurmagedov style is so exciting.

At least Islam strikes and mixes it up.

 

[Joinho10]

I don't think Umar has a lot of doubters. People are just sick of the Dagestani wrestling antics.

I think he does, more than he should for what he has shown in my opinion. Thats a very weak reason. Umar does a lot of damage with his wrestling. He's no lay-and-pray wrestler. Typically only needs one takedown and dishes out a whole lot of damage.

 

[xhaydenx]

lol at people freaking out about the rankings while #10 FW fought for the belt two days ago and no one wants to fight Nurmagomedov

No, Umar only wanted the top fighters and none of them wanted to fight an unranked guy as that would have done nothing for them.

 

[Steve Fox]

I think he does, more than he should for what he has shown in my opinion. Thats a very weak reason. Umar does a lot of damage with his wrestling. He's no lay-and-pray wrestler. Typically only needs one takedown and dishes out a whole lot of damage.

I had no idea to be fair. Umar is imo the next one to dominate the division. Not a style that I like to be fair but the skills are definitely there.

 

[Joinho10]

No, Umar only wanted the top fighters and none of them wanted to fight an unranked guy as that would have done nothing for them.

This is a lie. It has been documented many times Umar has been willing to fight anyone. Even called out many unranked fighters like Montel Jackson while Umar himself being ranked.