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Last night's UFC event saw bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen win big. 'The Sandman' defeated former flyweight titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo via tapout in the headline bout in Des Moines.
So who should be next for Cory Sandhagen following his victory last night? In a packed bantamweight division, there are unsurprisingly plenty of options.
Right now, Sandhagen is ranked No.4 in the division. Given Figueiredo was ranked at No.5, it's unlikely he will move up the ladder. Still, this was a key win for him.
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So let's explore the next options on the table for Cory Sandhagen.
Cory Sandhagen next fight: What's next for the No.4 ranked bantamweight?
Following his big win over Deiveson Figueiredo last night, a number of fans have called for Cory Sandhagen to be granted a shot at the UFC bantamweight title.
Sandhagen himself was also bullish in calling for an opportunity at the gold in his post-fight interview.
So is this a possibility?
Well, current champ Merab Dvalishvili has his next fight booked, against former titleholder Sean O'Malley in the headliner of UFC 316 in June.
Given that event is just a month away, it would make sense from a timing perspective for Sandhagen to face off with the winner.
Moreover, neither Dvalishvili nor O'Malley have faced Sandhagen previously, meaning that he would be a completely fresh title challenger.
Unfortunately, Sandhagen's ranking may stand against him here. He's currently ranked at No.4, and two of the three fighters ranked above him - Umar Nurmagomedov and Petr Yan - have previously beaten him.
Given that his loss to Nurmagomedov only took place less than a year ago - meaning 'The Sandman' is only on a one-fight win streak - it'd be hard to justify him leapfrogging 'Young Eagle' or Yan.
Could a rematch with Nurmagomedov or 'No Mercy' work, then? A second go-around with Yan might definitely make sense for Sandhagen.
Their first bout took place nearly four years ago now, and was a five-round thriller that earned both men a $50k bonus. A rematch, then, could easily work as a title eliminator.
When you consider that Sandhagen holds wins over the four fighters ranked directly below him - Figueiredo, Song Yadong, Marlon Vera and Rob Font - then it looks even more apparent that Yan is the only option.
Really, the only other direction the UFC could take would be to match Yan and Nurmagomedov in a title eliminator. This option would leave Sandhagen out in the cold, and would feel almost harsh to the 33-year-old.
If that's the case, then Henry Cejudo might make sense as an opponent for Sandhagen. However, 'Triple C' no longer holds the marquee value he once did, even if he's still a big name.
Therefore, the UFC would probably be best to make Cory Sandhagen vs. Petr Yan 2 next, with the winner receiving a shot at the winner of Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley.
