UFC Abu Dhabi Main Event Best Bets
Instead of crossing back over the pond after a successful UFC 304 in Manchester, the UFC will be headed to Abu Dhabi for its next event. Kicking off at noon ET, the UFC has put together a solid fight night worthy of an international crowd. Read UFC Abu Dhabi main event best bets below.
Cory Sandhagen looks to defend his ranking and earn his fourth-straight victory.
Umar Nurmagomedov gets the big-time fight he has been aching for, to prove to the masses that he deserves a title shot or to be considered one of the best bantamweights on the planet.
Will the veteran, unorthodox style of Sandhagen prove too much? Or will Nurmagomedov continue in the words of DJ Khaled and just “win, win, win”? Read on to see how this fantastic bantamweight tilt matches up and who will come out on top.
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Cory Sandhagen
It took five UFC wins for Sandhagen to get a number one contender fight back in mid-2020. Unfortunately, he would go on to get quickly submitted by the eventual champion, Aljamain Sterling.
Back-to-back highlight reel finishes of Moraes and Edgar positioned Sandhagen in another number one contender fight, but he came up short against former champion, TJ Dillashaw. The UFC did not at all take that into consideration as they ended up thrusting Sandhagen into a title fight just three months after that defeat. Once again, Petr Yan proved too much for Sandhagen. Since then, Sandhagen has rattled off three straight wins and once again found himself in a number one contender fight.
Sandhagen’s style of perpetual movement, unique striking, and an elite gas tank makes it hard for opponents to get a beat on what he is planning. We saw him pull out his wrestling chops last time around to stay safe while protecting an injury he suffered early in the fight.
His takedown defense is a bit of a concern at times, but he can stay active off his back to keep opponents from getting too comfortable. At the end of the day, his willingness to take on all comers along with his warrior mentality will always make him a dangerous foe.
Umar Nurmagomedov
It’s quite unfortunate that when we get elite Dagestani fighters, we don’t often see them in the cage. That was the unfortunate circumstance around Khabib’s career and now five fights into Nurmagomedov’s career it seems to be something to worry about. This will be just his sixth fight since joining the promotion in January 2021.
A typical UFC fighter will have 2-3 fights per year, so you would expect Nurmagomedov to already be closing in on his tenth UFC appearance. Luckily, the masses have seen the potential he has in his performances, and he now finds himself one fight away from a title shot.
Unlike most Dagestani fighters, Nurmagomedov does not solely lean on his grappling to get wins. He has an entertaining and unorthodox striking style that leans on spinning attacks and setting traps to spring on his opponents.
Cardio is not an issue at all for Nurmagomedov, allowing him to freely choose which approach he feels will be most effective against his opponents. Seeing how easily he can scramble and stay ahead of his opponents shows how elite of a fighter he is.
When he eventually hangs up his gloves, it may end up with him being one of the best, if not the best Dagestani fighter of all time.
The Pick
This is the type of fight Nurmagomedov needs to make it to the next level. Raoni Barcelos was a tough test and he passed it with flying colors. Almakhan was a decent test, but Almakhan himself was not all that tested.
I think Nurmagomedov will dictate the pace of this fight and grind Sandhagen out. Sandhagen could provide some resistance with his BJJ and submission game, but I think we’ll see Nurmagomedov stifle those attempts and maintain top position. I envision Sandhagen having pockets of success, but the overarching success should be in Nurmagomedov’s favor as he takes this fight to the scorecards.
