Bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen is thankful just to have a fight this weekend, after originally scheduled UFC Nashville opponent Umar Nurmagomedov pulled out of their main event match-up.
When a call from his agent came late at night in the weeks leading up to the event, Sandhagen (16-4) knew it wasn’t going to be good news. But with the bad came the good: Nurmagomedov was out, but Rob Font was stepping up.
“I’m glad that Rob is taking the fight. I don’t know if I’d be fighting if he didn’t,” Sandhagen admitted during Wednesday’s UFC Nashville media day. “So I’m grateful to him for taking the fight.”
Sandhagen admits that he was going to say yes regardless of what opponent was offered, but the pairing with Font works out particularly well.
“I’m glad it’s someone like Rob Font, who’s real experienced, coming off of a real good win, has some momentum behind him a little bit because he knocked the sh*t out of that guy [Adrian Yanez] in the last fight. It worked out good. Rob Font isn’t some dude. Like I said he’s coming off a good win, he’s been around for a real long time, he’s beaten some really good guys.”
While Sandhagen doesn’t pay too much attention to the bantamweight division as a whole, he’s ready to start making moves. “I think I’ve been at the top for a real long time, and I’m sick of just hanging out in the top five,” he explained. “I’m ready to be champ.”
In Sandhagen’s mind, there’s no real case for anyone else to get a title shot. Sean O’Malley is next in line, fighting Aljamain Sterling later this month. Then there’s Merab Dvalishvili, who won’t fight his pal Aljo.
“Aside from Merab, you don’t really have too many other people that I think have much of an argument. Like [Henry] Cejudo got a really golden gift coming out of retirement, fighting for the belt. It was close, but I think he probably has a couple until he gets to fight for the belt again,” suggested Sandhagen. “You have of course Merab, who is on a real good winning streak, doesn’t want to fight Aljamain and is hurt right now. I’m coming off a real good win against Song [Yadong] with a stoppage, and then a fight that I won by a mile against Chito [Vera]. And then this fight against Rob Font, I go out and I look really spectacular like I feel I typically do when I win, I feel like there’s really no other argument for anyone else except for me.”
Watch the full UFC Nashville media day appearance by Cory Sandhagen above.
