Umar Nurmagomedov will face the toughest task of his career when he takes on Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Nurmagomedov is one of the sport’s biggest prospects, with a 17-0 record, and is the cousin of former lightweight champion Khabib.
Like many of his team from Dagestan, Nurmagomedov strengths are in his grappling, but has also showed power in his striking, and will not be afraid to keep the fight standing.
However, standing across from him in the octagon this weekend is Sandhagen, who has faced some of the toughest competition UFC has to offer.
Photo: Sofascore.
Sandhagen is ranked number two in the Bantamweight division, and is on a three-fight win streak, with wins over Song Yadong, Marlon Vera and Rob Font.
Sandhagen’s unpredictable style means he comes at his opponents with a mixture of styles, but as seen in his knockout over Frankie Edgar, he has the power to end a fight instantly.
Originally scheduled for last summer, the winner of this bout will likely face the winner of the title bout between Sean O’Malley and Mareb Dvalishvili, who headlines UFC 306.
It is not the only fight in the bantamweight division, with Marlon Vera and Deiveson Figueiredo going head-to-head.
This will be Vera’s first fight since his loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 299, as he aims to get back to title contention.
For Figueiredo, the former flyweight champion has impressed since his move up to bantamweight, with wins over Font and Cody Garbrandt.
Photo: Sofascore.
Both fighters have the power in striking to win via knockout, and have showed they are not afraid to take the fight to the ground.
However, the chin of Vera could make the difference, having never been knocked down in the UFC, and also finishes fights strong.
If Figueiredo can start fast, this could be a very interesting bout.
MMA fans could be saying goodbye to one of their favourites in the sport, as Tony Ferguson takes on Michael Chiesa in the welterweight division.
Once on a 12-fight-winning run, Ferguson is on a seven-fight losing streak, with age and damage from previous fights catching up to him.
Ferguson’s last defeat was to Paddy Pimblett in December, and another defeat on Saturday could see the end of his UFC career.
In Chiesa, he will face another fight searching for a long-awaited win, with Chiesa on a four-fight losing streak. The welterweight fighter’s last defeat was to Kevin Holland via submission at UFC 287.
Elsewhere on the main card, the always exciting Shara Magomedov puts his 13-0 record on the line when he faces Michal Oleksiejczuk in a middleweight in the co-main event.
At strawweight, top 10 contenders collide as Mackenzie Dern aims to return to winning ways when she takes on Loopy Godinez.
For Irish fans, live coverage will be shown from 8pm on Virgin Media Two, with highlights on Tuesday night at 11pm.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
