Cory Sandhagen's 5 most memorable moments in the UFC

#4. Cory Sandhagen vs. Iuri Alcantara – UFC Fight Night 135

Cory Sandhagen picked up a huge win over Iuri Alcantara in 2018

Cory Sandhagen debuted in the UFC in 2018 with a win over Austin Arnett. Still, it wasn’t until his second octagon visit – a clash with longtime veteran Iuri Alcantara – that ‘The Sandman’ put himself on the map.

Early on, it looked like Sandhagen might be out of his depth against such a dangerous and experienced opponent. Alcantara blitzed him with punches in the opening seconds of the fight, clearly knocking him off his game plan.

Moments later, Sandhagen was trapped in what looked like a tight armbar/triangle choke combination, and it looked like ‘Marajo’ would probably be able to secure a quick submission victory. However, ‘The Sandman’ proved his toughness by somehow escaping the position, despite being busted wide open.

And suddenly, the tides turned. With Alcantara stuck on the ground, Sandhagen unleashed a furious series of punches and elbows at the Brazilian that appeared to have him on the verge of being stopped. If anything, it was arguable that Alcantara was saved by the buzzer.

It was only a momentary reprieve, as Sandhagen quickly rushed him in the opening seconds of the second round and ended up finishing him after a minute of punishment.

Sandhagen gets it done!!@Cors_Life #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/3oHkC1406o

— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2018

The win not only showed off Sandhagen’s remarkable toughness, but it also showed that he had the poise to defeat a genuinely dangerous and heavily respected veteran – making him a fighter to keep an eye on.

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#3. Cory Sandhagen vs. John Lineker – UFC Fight Night 150

2019 saw Cory Sandhagen pick up a big win over John Lineker

Cory Sandhagen’s third UFC victory came against a late replacement in the form of Mario Bautista, but his fourth would be much harder going. In his first UFC main card bout, ‘The Sandman’ was faced with heavy-handed veteran John Lineker in what sounded like a potential war.

The fight lived up to all expectations, but despite Lineker’s vaunted power punches and lengthy octagon experience, it was Sandhagen who came away with his hand raised – giving him his biggest career victory at the time.

It didn’t come without a fair share of adversity, either. The first round was a tight one but was seemingly won by Sandhagen, who began to take advantage of his superior height by working the Brazilian over with long jabs and strikes from distance.

5'3" John Lineker vs 5'11" Cory Sandhagen.#UFCFtLauderdale pic.twitter.com/srVtJJuHtf

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) April 28, 2019

The second round swung even further in Sandhagen’s favor as his jab continued to find the target. He also took Lineker down to gain even more momentum.

But in the third round, Lineker came roaring back, hammering ‘The Sandman’ with huge punches, particularly to the body. But despite giving everything he had, ‘Hands of Stone’ couldn’t find the killer blow.