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Following his win over promotional debutant Bekzat Almakhan, Umar Nurmagomedov called out both Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen. With the victory, the surging Nurmagomedov improved his professional record to 17-0, and he is firmly establishing himself as the next big thing at 135 pounds.
He recently caught up with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto and went into further detail on his desire to fight Cory Sandhagen next.
Okamoto suggested that there were plans to put together a Nurmagomedov-Sandhagen bout for International Fight Week, and asked the Dagestani if that's what he thinks should be next. To this, Nurmagomedov replied:
"Yes, yes, for me, I was supposed to fight with him, I pulled out because of my injury and I'm going to finish this. Everybody talks that I'm scared of him, so I want to go out and prove that it's not like that. For me, I think one of the hardest fights in my division is Cory. Nobody fights like Cory. He is talented, he have very good technique and I like this. It's a big challenge for me. If I choose, of course, I want to fight with Cory."
Check out the interview here (12:27 for his comments on a potential clash with Cory Sandhagen):
Umar Nurmagomedov and Cory Sandhagen were scheduled to face each other back in August 2023, but the fight never came to fruition as Nurmagomedov pulled out due to injury.
Umar Nurmagomedov speaks on potential Sean O'Malley vs. Ilia Topuria bout, says Topuria will "kill him"
Following his dominant unanimous decision win over longtime rival Marlon 'Chito' Vera at UFC 299, reigning bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley took to the mic to call out current 145-pound champion Ilia Topuria for a fight in Spain.
Since then, Topuria has suggested that O'Malley worry about Merab Dvalishvili first, but also expressed his admiration for 'Sugar's' UFC 299 performance. Given the status both men hold today, a fight between the two is certainly a possibility down the line.
In the same interview with Okamoto, Umar Nurmagomedov spoke on a potential bout between the two. He said:
"For me, it [doesn't] make sense. Ilia gonna maybe kill him, because he too big and right now, Ilia [is] too dangerous for him. It's not the same when go up and change weight."
