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3 keys to victory for Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Abu Dhabi

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3 keys to victory for Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Abu Dhabi

As a fan who has followed MMA for over two decades, I can confidently say that the August 3 main event between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov promises to be a thrilling battle. Having witnessed countless fights and analyzed the styles of countless fighters, I’ve developed a keen eye for spotting keys to victory.

The Abu Dhabi main event officially goes down on August 3 as it is an important fight for the bantamweight division. No. 2 ranked Cory Sandhagen and No. 10 ranked Umar Nurmagomedov will be going to war to see who will get the next title shot after Sean O’Malley vs Merab Dvalishvili happens in September. Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov were initially supposed to fight at a Nashville main event in August 2023 before Nurmagomedov hurt his shoulder and was forced to pull out of the fight. Sandhagen ended up out-wrestling Rob Font, the new replacement, to a unanimous decision while Nurmagomedov returned in March 2024, when he out-wrestled Bekzat Almakhan to a unanimous decision. Both main event fighters have looked dominant in their recent victories, and they both have keys to victory, giving themselves an equal chance to win.

Cory Sandhagen keys to victory

To begin, let’s focus on Sandhagen, the higher-ranked contender. A crucial factor for his victory lies in mastering his fighting distance properly. This will make it harder for Nurmagomedov to outmaneuver him, given Sandhagen’s challenges with tackles. Sandhagen possesses effective tools to keep Nurmagomedov at bay, including long jabs, front body kicks, and leg kicks. His agility on foot can also prove beneficial, particularly if Nurmagomedov struggles to pinpoint his movements for takedown attempts. Once Sandhagen establishes the right distance, he can unleash powerful strikes like flying knees and head kicks.

A significant edge for Sandhagen lies in his skill at countering takedowns from Nurmagomedov, who may opt for wrestling strategies. Sandhagen boasts impressive wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu abilities, often attempting submissions when on top or bottom. His grappling prowess allows him to ward off takedowns and recover if he is taken down. However, it’s crucial for him to safeguard his back and neck at all times, as they can be vulnerable during grappling exchanges. Nurmagomedov excels at seizing opponents’ backs and finding submission opportunities.

In the end, it’s crucial that Sandhagen times his critical strikes accurately. While he may not be a hard hitter, his head kicks and aerial knees are his strong points. He doesn’t necessarily need to knock Nurmagomedov out with every strike, but should aim to make him uneasy on his feet, leaving him uncertain about Sandhagen’s next moves. Additionally, he could aim to win through damage, as the judges might favor him in case of a decision if the fight goes the distance. Sandhagen has long-range punches that could help him achieve this. His approach resembles Sean Strickland’s, who isn’t a heavy hitter, but his constant barrage of long punches causes damage to opponents’ faces, as demonstrated in fights against Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis.

Umar Nurmagomedov keys to victory

In the eyes of Nurmagomedov, wrestling plays a crucial role due to Sandhagen’s superior striking skills and resilience against knockouts. As an accomplished wrestler himself, on par with renowned champions like Islam Makhachev and his retired cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov, he has a strong advantage in this regard. When Nurmagomedov brings opponents down, his top control and back-taking techniques are top-notch and robust. There will be numerous instances where takedowns can be successfully executed against Sandhagen. If Sandhagen launches a front kick to the body, a flying knee, or finds himself on the defensive, takedowns could potentially be carried out in those situations if timed correctly. Moreover, should Sandhagen expose his back while attempting to escape grappling positions, as he often does, Nurmagomedov can swiftly secure a submission.

Pressure would be a good key to victory for Nurmagomedov, as fighters who have beat Sandhagen have thrived when pressuring him. TJ Dillashaw and Petr Yan are two prime examples of how they edged out decisions against Sandhagen. Their pressure, which was a mix of striking and grappling, made Sandhagen lose his timing and range control as he got pretty tired in the later rounds. Aljimain Sterling became the first fighter to finish Sandhagen in June 2020 when he had a game plan consisting of immediate pressure, catching a body kick, and taking his back to find a submission. Nurmagomedov can find similar success, as his pressure key to victory can go along with his wrestling key to victory to find a finish. His boxing and kicks are solid enough that he could even mix it up some against Sandhagen, assisting in his grappling first game plan.

Finally, an important key to victory for Nurmagomedov is to be defensibly responsible. He has a 76percent striking defense, 18 points higher than Sandhagen’s striking defense at 58 percent. It has to remain high enough for this fight due to Sandhagen possessing explosive attacks that can end the fight at any moment. Nurmagomedov was dropped by an overhand right in his last fight against Almakhan, who was making his UFC debut, but luckily, he pushed through adversity and dominated him in wrestling for the rest of the fight. The point is that he cannot make small mistakes like that against Sandhagen, who is a more elite striker with more killer instinct.

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2024-08-02 03:13

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