Cory Sandhagen looks to "tire" out Umar Nurmagomedov before finishing him in later rounds: "This is going to be my best performance"

Cory Sandhagen, the #2 ranked UFC bantamweight, discusses how he plans to finish Umar Nurmagomedov ahead of their fight at UFC Abu Dhabi.

Sandhagen will have both hands full when he faces Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi. Speaking with TMZ Sports, he laid out the strategy he thinks is best for taking out the undefeated Russian.

When asked how he envisions his hand being raised this Saturday, 'Sandman' believes the fight could go in various directions, but he sees his opponent tiring and intends to submit or knock him out. Moreover, the Elevation Fight Team affiliate anticipates this will be his best career performance yet:

"Yeah, I mean, I really, I’m gonna make this a good one, you know, like, this is gonna be my best performance that I’ve had, you know, and I think it can go a number of ways. I think the later this fight goes, the better I am gonna do and I can definitely can see myself, you know, watching him get tired then either submit him or knocking him out in the later rounds."

Check out Cory Sandhagen's comments below:

Sandhagen is on a three-fight win streak, all against strikers. His most significant losses have come when his opponents have used their grappling to smother the 'Sandman's dynamic movements.

Most notably, former champion Aljamain Sterling choked him out in 2020. It would be intriguing to see how the Colorado native handles the grappling phenom Nurmagomedov.

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Cory Sandhagen plans to shake hands with Khabib Nurmagomedov after beating his student

Cory Sandhagen understands the enormity of the challenge ahead of him, but that doesn't wane his confidence, as the 32-year-old intends to deliver the best performance of his career when he locks horns against the Dagestan native.

The Dagestan clan is notorious for exerting suffocating grappling pressure, so few want to challenge them inside the octagon. Sandhagen is one of those few fighters, who appeared unfazed as he accepted the fight, which seemingly had to offer fewer rewards than risks.

Going up against a grappler who has trained his entire life under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov is a daunting task for most fighters, but Sandhagen is not one to back down from a challenge.

Moreover, the 32-year-old is adamant to prove he's better at every facet of the game. Talking with Daniel Cormier, 'Sandman' opened up on how he plans to defeat the pupil of 'The Eagle' and cement his position as the next title challenger:

"I’m gonna go toe-to-toe with Umar in everything, you know, grappling, striking. I’m gonna prove I am better in every single area in this fight. I’m gonna prove that I am better than him, and on Saturday, I plan on shaking Khabib’s hand, I plan on shaking Umar’s hand apologizing, saying I am sorry I had to beat you, you know, go win a couple of fights so we can fight for the belt."

Check out Cory Sandhagen's comments on potentially beating Umar Nurmagomedov here (15:18):