The Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov odds favor the Dagestani fighter. No surprise there as he’ll almost certainly have the crowd on his side.
The bantamweight fight is the main event of UFC on ABC: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov. It’s also known as UFC Abu Dhabi for the city that’s hosting this event on August 3, 2023.
In the MMA universe, the capital of the United Arab Emirates is famous for being a sort of stronghold of Dagestani fighters’ fans. There’s no doubt that most of the 18,000 fans at Etihad Arena will be cheering for Umar, a cousin of legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In the previous UFC event that took place in this Middle Eastern city (UFC 294), six Dagestani-born fighters fought and each of them won. Will we see something similar happen at UFC Abu Dhabi on August 3?
Before Betting on Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov UFC Abu Dhabi Fight
Our Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov prediction is that is going to be a bloody fight, as every title eliminator should be. In simple terms, this means that whoever wins on August 3 will get to fight Sean O’Malley for the championship belt later this year or in early 2025.
That’s a big prize, which is why both fighters will give their utmost in Abu Dhabi. The Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov odds are heavily in favor of Khabib’s cousin. One of the reasons is that the fight is taking place in the UAA.
However, that wouldn’t matter much if Umar wasn’t a great fighter. As you’d expect from a Dagestani fighter, who used to be trained by Khabib’s late father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, “Young Eagle” is a hell of a wrestler. The evidence is that he lands 4.51 takedowns per 15 minutes on average.
Umar is a two-time world champion in combat sambo, who’s 17-0 since switching to professional MMA in 2016. Five years after going pro, he made his UFC debut and is 5-0 since. However, he’s never fought a ranked UFC fighter before. Cory Sandhagen is going to be his first opponent who’s in the Top 15 in the UFC Bantamweight Rankings.
“The Sandman” is 17-4 overall, coming to Abu Dhabi after three straight wins – vs. Song Yadong, Marlon Vera, and Rob Font. Before that, he lost to then-champion Petr Yan by decision, in a title fight he entered on just four weeks’ notice.
And before that, he lost to T.J. Dillashaw by a controversial split decision, with 17 of the 23 media outlets scoring in his favor.
Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov UFC Abu Dhabi Odds & Pick
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No Dagestani fighter has ever lost a main event in Abu Dhabi. In fact, Gadzhimurad Antigulov is the only fighter from Dagestan who’s ever lost a main card fight in the United Arab Emirates. The Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov UFC Abu Dhabi odds suggest Umar won’t be joining him.
Oddsmakers from BetOnline see Umar as a strong favorite to win on August 3. Sure, he’s got a fantastic pedigree, and his wrestling prowess is indisputable. However, we just don’t know whether he really is championship material. After all, he’s never fought such a good opponent as Sandhagen.
It’s just the opposite when it comes to The Sandman who’s fought the who’s who of the UFC Bantamweight division. One fighter he hasn’t fought yet is Sugar O’Malley, whom he will fight if he beats Nurmagomedov at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Odds suggest otherwise, but our pick is Cory Sandhagen.
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Pick
Cory Sandhagen
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