UFC bantamweight contender Pedro Munhoz is completely alright with the thought of a Petr Yan vs. Cory Sandhagen interim title bout, as a member of the division but also as a fan of the sport of MMA.
Munhoz is scheduled to fight Dominick Cruz at UFC 269 later this year and sat down with LowKickMMA’s James Lynch to catch up on his career. He’s looking to make a big statement after losing three of his last four bouts.
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, who has competed once before with Munhoz, has withdrawn from his rematch with Yan at UFC 267 due to lingering neck issues. The UFC brass quickly moved forward and called on Sandhagen to fight Yan for the interim title in the meantime.
Munhoz is excited about the style matchup between Yan and Sandhagen, in a massive fight in the bantamweight title picture.
“I was in doubt about Aljamain Sterling returning so quickly off of a neck surgery,” Munhoz said. “Hopefully he’ll be back soon. But, that fight is going to be super interesting and I’m excited about it. I think it was fair. Besides [TJ Dillashaw], Cory Sandhagen is the next guy. It’s going to be a great clash of styles.”
“Petr Yan hits hard, but Sandhagen is also really hard to hit because of his leverage. I’m looking forward to it.”
Oddly enough, Munhoz hasn’t fought against either Yan or Sandhagen during his long career in the bantamweight division. He has competed against top strikers like Rob Font and Cody Garbrandt before, beating both in dominant fashion.
The bantamweight division continues to be one of the most fascinating groups in the sport; with Munhoz, Yan, and Sandhagen near the top of the conversation.
Do you agree with Pedro Munhoz? Are you as excited as he is about Petr Yan vs. Cory Sandhagen?