Cory Sandhagen is the future of UFC’s bantamweight division
Cory Sandhagen (4-0 in UFC) is fairly unknown to the UFC fanbase. But with his recent win over John Lineker, he has jetted into the top ten of the bantamweight division, as he is currently ranked eighth.ย
Letโs get to know Cory Sandhagen.
He previously fought for Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) defeating Jose Aguayo on January 19, 2018 via first round TKO.ย This part of his story caught my eye, he made his UFC debut eight days later winning via second round TKO versus Austin Arnett.ย History shows that fighters that take fights on short notice normally donโt fare well, but Cory shattered that mold. ย
His second fight with the UFC, August 2018, saw him take on the very game, Iuri Alcantara.ย A very competitive fight between both guys ended with Cory winning with another second round TKO and the fight earned him the Fight of the Night bonus. ย
Cory is now a force to be reckoned with in the bantamweight division, with his recent win over Lineker.ย At worst, he is three fights away from a title shot.ย I think the UFC should pit him against Cody Garbrandt next.ย Cody is ranked number six in the division and still carries the cache of being a former champ.ย Although Cody would be coming off three consecutive losses, he is still a name within the division. ย
I wouldnโt be upset if the UFC had the idea of Cory versus Jimmie Riviera.ย But UFC is looking to book Riviera to take on Petr Yan at UFC 238.ย With Dominick Cruz still out, I think another fight for Cory would be the number two ranked Raphael Assuncao.ย Assuncao is 8-2 in his last ten fights, losing to TJ Dillashaw and recently to Marlon Moraes who will be fighting Henry Cejudo for the vacant bantamweight championship.ย Assuncao has fought the likes of Pedro Munhoz, Aljamain Sterling, Rob Font and Bryan Caraway. This would give Cory another big name on his resume if he were able to pull out a win.
Sandhagen just needs to take it one fight at a time and improving on his skills.ย I think another way to raise his stock is to stay in training just in case a short notice replacement fight comes available to him.ย This could happen, especially for UFC 238 that may feature Riviera versus Yan, but has fellow bantamweight contenders, Aljamain Sterling taking on Pedro Munhoz. ย
He could be the future of the bantamweight division and if he is, that means he has fought his way to the top.
You all better get to know the name. All eyes will be on him, regardless of his next opponent.
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