Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Deiveson Figueiredo next? ‘Young Eagle’ open to facing former UFC champion next if needed
Umar Nurmagomedov proved that the hype around him was real after defeating elite bantamweight Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3.
'Young Eagle' entered the clash ranked at No.10, but following his stellar showing, will leapfrog most of the division and replace Sandhagen at No.2. With the surging bantamweight contender carrying arguably the most famous surname in MMA, the pressure to perform is constant.
Given that Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov was dubbed a title eliminator, the 28-year-old will likely face the winner of Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili, set to headline UFC 306.
However, the 18-0 bantamweight would be open to a clash with former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo next, should promotional matchmakers offer him the bout instead of a title shot.
Figueiredo defeated former bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera at UFC Abu Dhabi, announcing himself as a bonafide contender at 135 pounds.
The Dagestani appeared in front of the media following his win over 'The Sandman', where he was asked about possibly fighting 'God of War' next. He said:
"It's a very interesting fight. I've always looked at him as an opponent, if the UFC says that we must fight, then I'll definitely take into consideration fighting him."
Watch Umar Nurmagomedov's interview below (2:30):
Cory Sandhagen labels Umar Nurmagomedov as "world class" following UFC Abu Dhabi
UFC Abu Dhabi was headlined by a thrilling bantamweight clash between Umar Nurmagomedov and Cory Sandhagen. Both men are regarded as immensely well-rounded fighters, and their skills were on full display as the fight produced numerous entertaining striking and grappling exchanges.
'The Sandman' suffered his first defeat since 2021, as 'Young Eagle' was able to secure an 18th consecutive career victory to remain undefeated.
As two fighters who embody the true essence of martial arts more than most in the UFC, Sandhagen took to Instagram following his defeat and penned a touching statement to his opponent.
The American was as graceful as ever, as he wrote this:
"Tough sport. Umar is really world class - it was an honor to fight one of the world’s best. Congrats to him. Gonna keep getting better, like I always do. Thanks for the support. I love you guys."
Check out Cory Sandhagen's post after losing to Umar Nurmagomedov below: