"Nothing to gain and everything to lose" - UFC fans laud Cory Sandhagen for accepting fight against Umar Nurmagomedov

To say that Cory Sandhagen is tough, would be an understatement. This is especially considering the fact that he accepted a fight with Umar Nurmagomedov. Not just that, Cory Sandhagen is ranked at No.4 in the bantamweight rankings.

Going up against Umar Nurmagomedov is a big gamble for 'The Sandman' since the Dagestani phenom is ranked at No.11. Regardless, both fighters will be squaring off in what could be a Fight of the Year contender at UFC Fight Night 226.

Fans lauded Cory Sandhagen for being the only fighter to step up against Umar Nurmagomedov, when seemingly no-one else wants to fight him. A fan named 'Anthony McBride MMA Tweets' posted the following:

"Cory is synonymous with banger main events. If the level of competition and performances doesn’t tell you this man is a noteworthy contender, I don’t know what will. I would love to see him fight for the world title."

A user with the handle 'Komokeo2' said the following:

"I hate this as a fan of Cory. On the cusp of a title shot and he’s fighting seven spots down in the rankings against a dangerous stylistic matchup. B*llsy though."

Here are some other reactions to the fight announcement:

While many fans praised Cory Sandhagen for taking the fight, others criticized Umar Nurmagomedov stating that he has 'Dagestani privilege' because he has been granted a fight against someone ranked seven spots above him. A rebuttal to the criticism towards Nurmagomedov is the fact that Cory Sandhagen is the only one to step up to fight him.

Check out more reactions below:

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What will Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov look like?

Cory Sandhagen is one of the most elite fighters in the UFC's 135-pound weight class, with wins over fighters like Marlon Vera, Song Yadong, Frankie Edgar and Marlon Moraes to name a few.

Accepting a fight against someone who is clearly the division's boogeyman, throws light on how confident 'The Sandman' is in his skills.

'The Sandman' - Greatest hits:

One doesn't need to dig too deep to understand Nurmagomedov's career trajectory. While the path has already been laid by his mentor and cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov, Umar Nurmagomedov has forged a style of fighting that is unique to him.

'Young Eagle' has devastating kicks, and is quick with his shots and combinations inside the pocket.

'Young Eagle' - Dominant rise to the UFC:

So, this matchup is not a typical striker vs. grappler matchup, in that Nurmagomedov is a dominant striker. Being the shorter fighter, 'Young Eagle' may have problems in terms of reach with Sandhagen.

However, Nurmagomedov has that pressure-heavy, relentless, patented Dagestani wrestling in his arsenal and can choose to go there should Sandhagen give him problems on the feet.

This fight is very intriguing and could be a potential Fight of the Year contender.