Cory Sandhagen talks "apologizing" to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Umar Nurmagomedov after UFC Abu Dhabi fight

Cory Sandhagen recently expressed his intention to apologize to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Umar Nurmagomedov after his upcoming fight at UFC Abu Dhabi. 'The Sandman' is set to clash with the surging Dagestani in a bantamweight title eliminator bout, headlining the Fight Night event this Saturday at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, United Arab Emirates.

Both fighters were previously set to square off at UFC Nashville in August 2023. However, Nurmagomedov had to withdraw from the event just weeks prior due to a shoulder injury. Consequently, Sandhagen faced and defeated Rob Font, who replaced the Russian.

Nurmagomedov, celebrated as one of the most promising fighters in the 135-pound division, is also the cousin of 'The Eagle', who is expected to be in his corner on Saturday night. However, Sandhagen plans to deliver his opponent the first loss of his career, followed by offering an apology and a handshake to both Dagestanis.

During a recent interview with UFC commentator Daniel Cormier, Sandhagen expressed his unwavering confidence and detailed his vision of how the fight will unfold:

"I’m gonna prove that I’m better than [Umar]. On Saturday, I plan on shaking Khabib’s hand, I plan on shaking Umar’s hand and apologizing and saying, 'I'm sorry that I had to beat you.' Go win a couple more fights, and we can fight [again] for the belt; that’s how I see it in my head. That’s how I’ve been seeing it in my head for the last 12 weeks."

Check out Cory Sandhagen's comments below:

Check out the full interview below:

Sandhagen is on a three-fight win streak, with notable victories over Song Yadong, Marlon Vera, and Font. Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov remains undefeated in his five UFC bouts, having most recently secured a unanimous decision victory over debutant Bekzat Almakhan in March.

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Umar Nurmagomedov anticipates Cory Sandhagen to tire out at UFC Abu Dhabi

During a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, Umar Nurmagomedov revealed his strategy to showcase his superior cardio at UFC Abu Dhabi compared to Cory Sandhagen.

Nurmagomedov stated that he plans to leverage his endurance to dominate the fight, confident that Sandhagen will crumble under his pressure:

"We'll see who gets tired and whose cardio is better. He will get exhausted in there fighting with me. You will see... Didn't he get tired in the Petr Yan fight? He talks like he's a cardio machine... He was winning the early rounds, but he lost the fight because he got tired. So I am really surprised to hear comments like that from him, like he can outlast me."

Check out Umar Nurmagomedov's comments below: