Cory Sandhagen doesn't like Merab Dvalishvili's chances against Umar Nurmagomedov

12/19/2024 09:40 AM

Not only is Cory Sandhagen picking Umar Nurmagomedov to win at UFC 311, he’s rooting for him.

Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in the Jan. 18 co-headliner (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

Sandhagen is coming off a five-round decision loss to Nurmagomedov in the UFC on ABC 7 main event in August, and knows how good the undefeated contender is.

“I think that Umar probably will win,” Sandhagen told Middle Easy. “I just can’t really see a path for Merab to win. I don’t think that he’s going to be able to strike with him, but I also don’t think that he’ll be able to take him down and control him like he was able to do against O’Malley and against other guys. I just don’t really see a path to success for Merab. I think Umar is likely going to defend a lot of those shots, keep it in the striking realm, and just kind of – Umar’s a sniper, man.

“People don’t really realize just how fast that guy is and how good he is and how his kicks come out of nowhere. Fighting a guy like Merab will be a good opportunity for him to show off a little bit and just because Merab’s been talking a lot of sh*t, I kind of want to watch Merab get served up a little bit by a guy who is supposed to be a wrestler but wasn’t able to wrestle me, but Merab’s still saying that I was a gift and stuff. So, I’m on Team Umar now.”

Sandhagen: Dvalishvili ‘acting a little ridiculous’

Sandhagen is also not a fan of Dvalishvili’s constant dismissal of Nurmagomedov as a worthy title challenger.

“Merab is just acting a little ridiculous,” Sandhagen said. “Here’s what I believe the fans are like: There’s obviously a lot of types of fans, but I think what the fans want us to be the most are fearless competitors who are not afraid to go out and fight and put their lives on the line, and whoever it is in front of them, they believe that they can win. That’s what the fans deep down in their heart really want.

“They want to be inspired. There’s nothing inspiring about being like, ‘No, I don’t want to fight this guy for this reason,’ or ‘I want this guy because I already beat this guy.’ People are not stupid. They pick up on those things, and that’s just my personal belief. Fans really want people who are going to go out, fight like hell, be entertaining, and they want them to be fearless and inspiring.”