'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADBP/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAlUQa/wD/xAAhEAABAwMEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMEBQYhABETMhIiMf/aAAgBAQABPwC+abGYtK16rDhM84A47ICQfMBEpCvqijtkvNfidtRaEpxmTeaim6QIpkojldsr01//xAAYEQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDEf/aAAgBAgEBPwC9ZI//xAAWEQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAzH/2gAIAQMBAT8ARD//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Umar Nurmagomedov is one of the hottest prospects in the UFC's bantamweight division, holding a record of 17-0 overall and 5-0 inside the promotion.
He currently occupies the tenth-spot in the division's rankings, but the Dagestani has been touted for greatness and likened to his cousin and former lightweight king, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov recently faced off against promotional debutant Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Vegas 87, where the surging bantamweight contender secured a unanimous decision win.
The 28-year-old recently spoke to ESPN MMA following the 135 pound title fight that took place on Mar. 9 between Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera. The Dagestani reflected on O'Malley's path to the title and his knockout victory against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 that won him the belt.
The undefeated prospect shared his bewilderment at the former champion's uncharacteristic performance, saying:
"I was very surprised [by Sterling's loss]. I even began to think that maybe Aljamain threw the fight, I don't know how it's possible. He's a high-level fighter, and he went for a takedown like an amateur. I was very surprised. But O'Malley went with a calm mind and caught him."
Catch Umar Nurmagomedov's comments below from 8:25:
Umar Nurmagomedov believes Cory Sandhagen is arguably the toughest test at bantamweight
Umar Nurmagomedov was scheduled to face Cory Sandhagen at UFC Nashville in 2023. Unfortunately, the surging bantamweight contender was forced to withdraw from the bout a month prior to fight night due to injury. 'The Sandman' instead faced Rob Font, whom he dominated en route to a unanimous decision win.
Following his recent victory over Bekzat Almakhan, Nurmagomedov took to calling out two of the divison's toughest prospects, including Sandhagen and former champion Petr Yan.
With 'The Sandman' currently without an opponent for his next fight, he has welcomed a potential clash with Nurmagomedov.
The undefeated bantamweight prospect previewed Sandhagen as an opponent, during a recent interview with ESPN MMA. He said (12:40 of the aforementioned video):
"For me, one of the hardest fights in my divison is Cory. Nobody fights like Cory. He's talented, he has very good technique, I like this. It's a big challenge. If I could choose, of course I want to fight Cory."
