"Trying to focus on not letting these things go to the judges" - Cory Sandhagen explains how fights against T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan have altered his strategy ahead of fight against Song Yadong

T.J. Dillashaw (left), Cory Sandhagen (middle), Petr Yan (right)
T.J. Dillashaw (left), Cory Sandhagen (center), Petr Yan (right)

While preparing for his five-round main event against Song Yadong this weekend, Cory Sandhagen explained what he must do differently to halt his two-fight losing streak inside the octagon.

In his last two appearances, 'Sandman' put on potential Fight of the Year contender matchups, but was on the wrong side of the judges' scorecards on both occasions. After close bouts with the elite T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan, the bantamweight hopes to win and push towards the title picture.

When questioned on the DC & RC Show on the kind of performance he requires to put himself back into championship fight talks, Cory Sandhagen admitted that he needs to control how fights end and prevent them from going to the scorecards:

"I'm really trying to focus on not letting these things go to the judges anymore. I really want to take it to Song and I want to get him out of there so that there really isn't any question of who won or lost. I want to go in, I either want to knock him out, I want to submit him, or I just want to break the guy. That's kind of where my mind is right now and that's the game plan."

Song Yadong is heading into this one on the back of three straight victories, scoring a huge first-round knockout of Marlon Moraes in his last outing earlier this year. The heavy-hitter is once again looking to find that killer shot as he targets a top-five ranking after the bout set to take place on September 17.

Check out what Cory Sandhagen had to say about the difference in approach ahead of his next fight in the video below:

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What must Cory Sandhagen do to get back into the title picture?

Despite losing his previous two bouts, Cory Sandhagen is still the No.4-ranked bantamweight in the world. However, he could find himself in a tough spot if he loses to Song Yadong this Saturday.

While the 30-year-old will want to win each time he steps foot inside the octagon, his upcoming matchup is a must-win affair. If he doesn't manage to get his hand raised, he will begin falling down the pecking order at 135lbs.

With 'Chito' Vera and Merab Dvalishvili both angling for a shot at gold, and Sean O'Malley having a huge opportunity against No.1-ranked Petr Yan, Sandhagen has to find a way to win if he wants to remain a presence within the division.

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Edited by Aziel Karthak