Cory Sandhagen certainly made a powerful statement regarding his championship aspirations while competing in Iowa.
Headlining the UFC Des Moines event, “The Sandman” delivered a decisive and one-sided performance against Deiveson Figueiredo, a former two-time flyweight champion. Sandhagen displayed a comprehensive skillset, utilizing his striking, wrestling, and grappling effectively. The fight ended in the second round when Figueiredo was forced to tap out due to a knee injury. However, Sandhagen`s performance leading up to the stoppage provided ample evidence that he is a legitimate contender, arguably the top challenger in the bantamweight division.
This impressive victory serves as a strong bounce-back for Sandhagen following a previous loss to Umar Nurmagomedov, who subsequently received a title shot after defeating him. Now, with four wins in his last five outings, Sandhagen is determined to persuade the UFC brass that it is his turn for a championship opportunity. He used his post-fight microphone time to explicitly call for the promotion to grant him the next title shot.
Sandhagen`s call for a title shot was met with support from his peers in the fighting community. Fellow fighter Brandon Royval was among those who voiced their agreement, tweeting emphatically, “Give Cory the next title shot!!! Dominant.”
