Exclusive: Cory Sandhagen comes clean about potential coaching career after retiring from professional fighting

Cory Sandhagen recently shared his thoughts on the possibility of venturing into coaching after stepping away from active competition. Sandhagen has spent the past decade as a professional fighter, competing under various regional promotions before making his UFC debut in January 2018, where he earned a second-round knockout victory over Austin Arnett.

Fast forward to 2025, and 'Sandman' has firmly established himself as one of the top contenders in the UFC bantamweight division, having proven himself against multiple former champions and some of the best talent the weight class has to offer.

During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA's James Lynch, Sandhagen discussed his plans beyond fighting. The 33-year-old Colorado native stated that retirement is still years away, revealing his intention to compete 8-10 more times before considering hanging up his gloves.

The former UFC bantamweight interim title challenger also shared his plans to transition into MMA coaching and noted that he's already in discussions about opening his gym:

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"I'm getting a gym going this year. My business partner or my wrestling coach, Carrington Banks, and I are still hunting for a place, which is kind of a pain in the a** because everywhere is so damn expensive, but I'm going to get that going this year. Maybe I'll retire into coaching."

He added:

"Coaching is something that you've got to be called to, and right now I'm a fighter, so it's really hard for me to understand if I have that calling or not because it's not easy dealing with fighters. And I know that I haven't been the easiest to deal with in the past, so I'm afraid I might have some bad karma coming my way if I do choose the coaching route."

Check out Cory Sandhagen's comments below (14:02):

When will Cory Sandhagen make his return to the octagon?

Cory Sandhagen is gearing up for a showdown with former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in the headlining bout of UFC Des Moines. The upcoming Fight Night event is scheduled for Saturday, May 3, at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

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'Sandman' was last in action at UFC Abu Dhabi in August, where he endured a lopsided unanimous decision defeat to Umar Nurmagomedov in their title eliminator clash.

Sandhagen has gone 3-3 in his last six octagon appearances and currently holds a UFC record of 10-4, with five of those victories coming by knockout.

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With over two years at Sportskeeda, Pranav has authored around 2,900 articles, drawing millions of views across a diverse range of topics. While MMA and boxing remain his primary forte, his expertise extends well beyond combat sports. From political analysis to lifestyle trends and other compelling subjects, his work reflects versatility.

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Edited by Pranav Pandey