While Cory Sandhagen prefers to look forward, he admits to harboring some regrets regarding his recent unanimous decision loss to Umar Nurmagomedov. Sandhagen believes his performance was negatively impacted by internal factors, specifically overthinking his strategy instead of reacting naturally during the bout.
Sandhagen explicitly stated that frustration played a significant role in his defeat against Nurmagomedov. He anticipated that landing strikes would be challenging, but instead of simply accepting this, the difficulty led to excessive frustration, causing a negative spiral during the fight.
He contends that deviating from one`s inherent fighting style proves detrimental when facing top-tier competitors. Sandhagen felt he overcompensated in that particular matchup, anticipating a close decision and relying on his grappling defense to nullify Nurmagomedov`s takedown attempts. He had expected the fight`s outcome to largely depend on which fighter landed the more impactful strikes.
Sandhagen acknowledges his failure to engage in a manner that would have allowed him to capitalize on potential openings that arose, which ultimately contributed to the loss.
He expressed that he should have adhered to his standard game plan: employing sound techniques and waiting for the opponent to make mistakes before attacking, rather than resorting to forced, unnatural offense. Sandhagen stressed that attempting to force opportunities against skilled opponents is ineffective, reiterating that frustration was a significant factor in the result.
Upon reviewing the fight, Sandhagen feels persistent self-reproach. He notes that despite the official scorecards (possibly 4-1), many rounds were very competitive. He is convinced that subtle adjustments could have secured him the victory, describing his career pattern as being “really good at almost winning.” He is actively working on developing the ability to consistently win those tightly contested rounds.
The positive takeaway from the disappointing loss is Sandhagen`s reinforced commitment to preventing similar outcomes in his future fights.
He is set to headline the UFC Des Moines event on May 3rd against Deiveson Figueiredo and has promised to leave nothing behind in the octagon.
Sandhagen aims to deliver a decisive performance, mentioning that his training has been geared towards dominating opponents. Motivated by a strong dislike for losing, he has dedicated significant effort and is eager to showcase his improved skills.
Heading into his upcoming fight, Sandhagen feels he hasn`t delivered a truly memorable performance in roughly two years, which is a source of frustration.
This feeling further fuels his desire to put on an impressive show against Figueiredo and overcome the disappointment of recent outings.
He candidly admits it`s been a while since he`s had a truly satisfying victory, referencing his win over Rob Font (where he tore his triceps and received criticism) and his prior win against Marlon “Chito” Vera. Sandhagen stated that his ego misses the feeling of securing major wins and the recognition that follows.
As if more motivation were needed, Sandhagen views the fight against Figueiredo as a crucial chance to signal to the UFC that he is the next logical contender for the bantamweight title, particularly with the rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O`Malley on the horizon.
Expressing immense enthusiasm, Sandhagen conveyed his desire to “shine” and believes he has the capability to finish Figueiredo. He expects to perform at his peak level and appear like a true championship-caliber fighter, confident that a dominant win will make it impossible for the UFC to deny him the next title opportunity. He concluded by saying he is “pumped.”
