Umar Nurmagomedov earned his bantamweight title shot by defeating Cory Sandhagen in a hard-fought battle that went the full five rounds. Both fighters had their moments, but Nurmagomedov ultimately secured the win via unanimous decision. In the aftermath, Sandhagen has opened up about the loss, expressing regret and acknowledging that frustration played a key role in his performance against the Dagestani fighter.
Sandhagen admits he let his emotions get the best of him during his fight with a Dagestani fighter. While he praised Nurmagomedov’s performance, he also blamed himself for overthinking and straying from his usual style. ‘The Sandman’ said the frustration of not landing clean shots despite intense preparation caused him to spiral mentally. In the recent interview with MMA Fighting, Sandhagen said,
“The me and Umar fight, I feel like frustration lost me that fight a little bit. I kind of went in with the framework, and with the perspective, that he was going to be very hard to hit. Instead of just being like ‘Oh that’s something to expect,’ it frustrated me more because I was like, but I’ve trained so hard in order to make it so I can hit a difficult guy and since it’s still not working”
.@corysandhagenx reflects on his loss to Umar Nurmagomedov ahead of his return at #UFCDesMoines:
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) April 23, 2025
"I’m really good at almost winning these fights so I’ve got to figure out how to actually get these close rounds bagged."
(🎥 @DamonMartin) pic.twitter.com/p2LFAurVT9
‘The Sandman’ believes he overcorrected his approach in the fight against Umar Nurmagomedov, which ultimately cost him in what he expected to be a tightly contested battle. Since that loss, Sandhagen hasn’t returned to the octagon, making his eventual comeback one that fans are eagerly anticipating.
Merab Dvalishvili Says Umar Nurmagomedov Was The Least Challenging Fighter He’s Faced Recently
Dvalishvili, hailed as one of the greatest bantamweights after defeating Umar Nurmagomedov, surprised fans by calling Nurmagomedov the “easiest” of his last five opponents. Despite a tough start at UFC 311, where he lost the first two rounds, Dvalishvili came back to win by decision.
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Merab Dvalishvili said Umar Nurmagomedov was the EASIEST out of his last 5 fights 👀 pic.twitter.com/WfZDkUiuS2
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) March 19, 2025
Reflecting on his career, Merab Dvalishvili ranked his toughest UFC opponents, with José Aldo at the top due to his elite takedown defense, followed by Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and Sean O’Malley. With nearly seven years unbeaten, Dvalishvili remains a dominant force in the division. Now, ‘The Machine’ is set to defend his title once again, this time against Sean O’Malley. Can he retain the title? Fans won’t have to wait long to find out.
Also Read: Merab Dvalishvili Calls Umar Nurmagomedov The ‘Easiest’ Fight In His Last Five Bouts
