Perennial bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen is now riding a three-fight win streak for the first time since 2019, but completed the achievement with an underwhelming albeit comfy decision win over short-notice replacement Rob Font in their catchweight clash at 140lbs. Should he be rewarded with a title shot next – depending on how UFC 292 unfolds – or does he need another scalp?
Sandhagen stifles Font, then calls for title shot next
50-45, 50-45, 50-45: Cory Sandhagen bt. Rob Font via unanimous decision
- “I’ve been dealing with some elbow problems, think I tore my tricep in the first round… it was technical as hell, I’m a wrestler a little bit too, I’m sorry. Aljo-O’Malley, I got next – I’ll see you in two weeks [UFC 292], who else can I ask for?” Sandhagen addresses unhappy crowd, calls for 135lb title shot
- Sandhagen landed 40% of his significant strikes (34 of 84), completed all seven takedowns he attempted while racking up 19:38 worth of control time in a headliner many weren’t expecting against a boxer of Font’s skills
- Aljamain Sterling in an ESPN interview: “Respectfully, it was a shit fight. Cory did what he had to do, I respect that – Font definitely needs to pick up on his grappling, can’t just sit on your back and wait for a submission… not at this level. It just showed me and Merab [#1 contender Dvalishvili], there’s levels to this, there’s a reason why we’re at the top. He could’ve done more, your tricep doesn’t stop you from throwing elbows or punching…”
Just as his workmanlike showing stifled a slow-starting Marlon Vera earlier in the year, Cory Sandhagen didn’t change tack but proved successful while carrying an injury against another dangerous opponent in short-notice replacement Rob Font.
The 36-year-old told ESPN he was eyeing a bantamweight title shot with victory here, and having relinquished a main event spot against Song Yadong two weeks later in his native Boston, the burning motivation was clear.
Font found immediate success on the ground and threatened a guillotine choke, only accelerating Sandhagen’s grapple-heavy style in a fight he couldn’t afford to lose given the stakes for both. Reigning champion Aljamain Sterling was cageside, too.
Font’s pressure and reactions were sharper for large periods in R1, but the former interim title challenger edged out a competitive round – taking him down twice.
It soon became clear meticulous round-by-round scoring wasn’t going to be very important in determining the final outcome. The crowd, naturally, were dissatisfied.
Back to the ground they went early in R2, Sandhagen found himself in side control after timing another takedown well, before landing some clever ground strikes and logging three minutes’ worth of control time from top position. Font frantically tried to get back up, but was pinned and seemed increasingly exhausted on his back.
It’s easy to forget Sandhagen was preparing for #11 ranked contender Umar Nurmagomedov – who withdrew after sustaining a serious shoulder injury in training camp. Optics aside though, why change a winning formula?
Cory stuck to the wrestling approach in the third, threatening an arm-triangle and kimura submissions before they stood once more with less than a minute left.
Unless Font scored a knockdown, there wasn’t much he could do during that period to swing another strong round in Sandhagen’s favour away from the 31-year-old.
15 minutes’ control time and counting had racked up for Sandhagen by the midway stage in R4 as he pinned Font up against the fence as the crowd audibly booed.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan, watching live with friends on his fight companion, openly questioned whether promoter Dana White would enjoy what he was witnessing. Far from it – shades of a risk-averse Curtis Blaydes showing.
Font was squirming with pain from bottom position for a period in the fifth, as it seemed like Sandhagen’s control time would be rewarded with a submission finish.
He slipped out, more than once, and there was some admirable submission defence being shown as you couldn’t help question where Sandhagen’s urgency was, 15 minutes earlier. There simply was no need and now he’s on the cusp of a title shot.
Monday, August 7: Sandhagen update
Former interim title challenger set for torn tricep surgery
The 31-year-old spoke during an interview with Ariel Helwani about a number of topics after his latest win, including whether it was a pre-existing injury and how he managed to fight through an issue likely to sideline him until the first quarter of 2024.
“An infection in your elbow can weaken the joint and stuff in there, probably why it tore so easily – nothing specifically was that intense but it sucked to happen in R1, didn’t bother me until the second and it was really unfortunate because I would’ve opened up more [had he not been injured].
Felt like there was a golf ball in there [his tricep], weird because I’ve been dealing with bursitis for a little bit now… had to play it safe, wouldn’t have been so quick to shoot [for takedowns], not making a million excuses [for the fans who booed him, excessive criticism] because ground control is amazing to watch if you’re interested in seeing how people can hold someone down.”
He also spoke of a positive conversation with head honcho White, more understanding than you’d normally expect – and that his standing in the title picture hasn’t been jeopardised by consecutive decision wins – both not exciting displays.
Rest of the main card
Women’s Strawweight: Tatiana Suarez bt. Jessica Andrade via R2 submission (guillotine choke)
As her return from a long injury-enforced layoff continues, unbeaten women’s strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez produced a career-best win and did it in style.
Adding another former champion on her ever-improving resume, she scored a second-round submission over Jessica Andrade in the co-main event before doubling down on deciding to stay at 115lbs – bursting onto the scene in 2016.
You could immediately see the discrepancies between them, Suarez’s large frame at 115lbs even more exacerbated by Andrade’s physical deficiencies in height and reach – while Tatiana wasted no time getting this fight where she wanted it: the ground.
She was credited with 2:22 worth of control time, landing 46% of her significant strikes and a trio of takedowns to boot – Andrade unsurprisingly wanted to keep their fight standing while teeing off attacks of her own, but unintentionally invited danger whenever they engaged up close and paid the price soon enough.
Suarez’s forward pressure and grappling acumen, the latter reinforced by being awarded her jiu-jitsu black belt post-fight, proved too much for Andrade to handle.
Just like against Erin Blanchfield back in mid-February, the Brazilian had no choice but to tap – a guillotine choke the cause.
It was a bad style matchup for the 31-year-old, who again stepped up on short-notice – #6 ranked contender Virna Jandiroba (knee) was Suarez’s original opponent.
Light-heavyweight: Dustin Jacoby bt. Kennedy Nzechukwu via R1 TKO (punches)
Dustin Jacoby said he was tired of defending his #15 ranking at 205lbs, and he might just find himself fighting up the ladder once again before long after racing to a stunning first-round TKO win over rising Nigerian hopeful Kennedy Nzechukwu.
What will make the finish even sweeter, is that he was on the back foot and absorbing a punch as he threw a right cross which sat the 29-year-old to the canvas.
A series of ground strikes later, the referee had seen enough and Jacoby is now back to winning ways while Nzechukwu will conversely have to study film tape, tighten up defensively and regroup after a humbling defeat which was over all too quickly.
Featherweight: Diego Lopes bt. Gavin Tucker via R1 submission (armbar)
Akin to compatriot and former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who received a hero’s welcome in Vancouver, 28-year-old Contender Series alum Diego Lopes got similar love from the Nashville crowd before a memorable second UFC showing.
After all, he excelled against #10 ranked unbeaten featherweight contender Movsar Evloev on short-notice earlier this year and very nearly pulled off a serious upset.
He justified that fanfare with a first-round submission win via triangle armbar over Gavin Tucker here, a Canadian veteran who hadn’t been seen in action since Dan Ige blitzed him with a similarly quick stoppage win back in March 2021.
Light-heavyweight: Tanner Boser bt. Aleksa Camur via UD (30-27 x 3)
Having been blasted into submission after just 125 seconds on his light-heavyweight debut in mid-April, Tanner Boser needed a rebound performance and got it – but would’ve been disappointed not to find a finish – as he repeatedly stunned Aleksa Camur during their firefight, but didn’t capitalise on openings when they arrived.
This display reinforced why he probably won’t reach the top-15 rankings at 205lbs anytime soon, but was a gritty and morale-boosting win given Camur’s courageous level of resistance and counterpunching when stung moving backwards.
Lightweight: L’udovit Klein bt. Ignacio Bahamondes via UD (30-27, 29-28 x 2)
After suffering consecutive defeats by Michael Trizano and Nate Landwehr in 2021, Slovakian lightweight L’udovit Klein is now 3-0-1 in his last four Octagon appearances after outworking Chilean prospect Ignacio Bahamondes over 15 minutes with more volume (94-62, 56-43 in significant strikes) and a trio of timely takedowns to boot.
Prelim results
Bantamweight: Kyler Phillips bt. Raoni Barcelos via UD (30-27, 29-28 x 2)
Welterweight: Carlston Harris bt. Jeremiah Wells via R3 submission (anaconda choke)
Featherweight: Billy Quarantillo bt. Damon Jackson via UD (29-28 x 3)
Flyweight: Cody Durden bt. Jake Hadley via UD (30-27 x 3)
Catchweight (146.5lbs): Sean Woodson bt. Dennis Buzukja via UD (30-27 x 3)
Flyweight: Assu Almabayev bt. Ode’ Osbourne via R2 submission (rear-naked choke)
Up next: UFC Vegas 78 on August 12, headlined by perennial contenders Vicente Luque [10, welterweight] vs. Rafael dos Anjos [9, lightweight]
Picture source: Getty Images
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