Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov UFC on ABC 7 Odds, Time, and Prediction

Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov is the main event of UFC on ABC 7 and is a fight that will decide who’s gonna fight Sean O’Malley for the UFC Bantamweight title in the future. So, who is it going to be?

Judging by the UFC on ABC 7 odds, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin Umar is likely to be the one. To see if The Sandman can stage an upset on August 3, just keep on reading our Cody Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov preview!

Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov Odds

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When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024
• Time: ~3:00 p.m. ET
• How to Watch: ABC

Can Cory Sandhagen Upset the Odds?

Cory Sandhagen is second in the UFC bantamweight Rankings and has a professional MMA record of 17-4. Three of those losses happened in the UFC, but none of those was embarrassing.

First, he lost to Aljamain Sterling in the UFC Bantamweight title eliminator fight by submission. It happened in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic at an event held behind closed doors in Vegas.

Since then, he lost two more fights, but each time by decision. One of those was a split-decision loss to T.J. Dillashaw, the other was a unanimous loss to Petr Yan in the interim title bout, for which Sandhagen only had a couple of weeks to prepare.

What needs to worry him is that in each fight that he lost in the UFC, we saw him either get taken down or pulled into a clinch by the opponent. The reason this is a major worry is that his UFC on ABC 7 opponent is one of the greatest wrestlers in the UFC.

Reasons why UFC on ABC 7 Odds are Favoring Umar Nurmagomedov

The first reason why Umar Nurmagomedov is favored to win on August 3 is that he’s 17-0. Seven of those were submission wins. Further, this guy has a takedown average of 4.51 TDs per 15 minutes.

This really is no surprise given that he’s a cousin of legendary Khabib, as well as a former protégé of Khabib’s dad, legendary Dagestani coach Abdulmanap.

Although he hasn’t fought against elite UFC fighters like The Sandman has, Umar was very impressive in each of his UFC fights. So far, he’s fought five fights in this promotion, and each time, he was the dominant force in the Octagon.

In his most recent fight, he beat Bekzat Almakhan by decision after landing 5 takedowns. He also landed 68 significant strikes while absorbing only 3. Speaking of strikes, the most punches and kicks he received in his UFC career was in the fight with Raoni Barcelos, in which the Brazilian landed 13 significant strikes.

In comparison, Sandhagen absorbed 100+ significant strikes in three of his 13 UFC fights.

Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov UFC on ABC 7 Prediction

The UFC on ABC 7 main event looks like an ideal matchup for Umar Nurmagomedov. First of all, the fight is taking place in the UAE, where Dagestani fighters traditionally do very well. In fact, no Dagestani has ever lost a main event fight in this country.

Secondly, Cory Sandhagen’s Achille’s heel is grappling, and Umar is, like any other Nurmagomedov, a submission specialist. Therefore, he shouldn’t have any problems winning the August 3 fight.

Pick: Umar Nurmagomedov