When Cory Sandhagen didn't bat an eyelid after Petr Yan tried to make him flinch at the faceoffs
Cory Sandhagen is set to make his return to the octagon this weekend when he faces Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC on ABC 7. The No.2-ranked bantamweight will look to defend his ranking and earn the first undisputed title opportunity of his UFC career. 'The Sandman' previously challenged for the interim bantamweight title when he faced Petr Yan at UFC 267 back in October 2021.
'No Mercy' half-heartedly attempted to make him flinch as the pair faced off leading up to the bout, but his efforts were unsuccessful. The Mac Life shared footage of the incident, which occurred as fans were cheering on the former bantamweight champion, to YouTube at the time that it happened.
Check out their UFC 267 faceoff below:
Yan, who lost the bantamweight title to Aljamain Sterling via disqualification in his previous bout at UFC 259, went on to claim the interim bantamweight title via unanimous decision. He received an opportunity to reclaim the title from 'Funk Master' at UFC 273. However, he lost the bout via split decision. It began a three-fight losing skid as losses to Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili followed before he finally got back in the win column against Song Yadong at UFC 299 in March.
Meanwhile, Sandhagen has won three consecutive bouts since the interim title bout loss. He has defeated Yadong, Marlon Vera, and Rob Font and will look to solidify his position as the division's next title challenger when he faces Nurmagomedov this weekend.
Umar Nurmagomedov reveals that the winner of his bout with Cory Sandhagen will receive a title opportunity
Umar Nurmagomedov will face the toughest challenge of his mixed martial arts career when he headlines UFC on ABC 7 against Cory Sandhagen this weekend. The No.10-ranked bantamweight recently revealed that he has been told the winner will face the winner of the UFC 306 title bout between Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.
Speaking to Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, 'Young Eagle' compared the bout to 'Suga' facing Petr Yan at UFC 280 before stating:
"Same situation. I hope I will fight [for the title] next, Inshallah. I will fight, I think. They said I will fight. Who will win [between him and Sandhagen], he will fight."
Check out Umar Nurmagomedov's comments below (4:18):
It will mark the first five-round bout of Nurmagomedov's mixed martial arts career. He was previously set to face Sandhagen at UFC on ESPN 50 last August. However, a shoulder injury forced him to withdraw from the bout.