No. 11-ranked bantamweight prospect Umar Nurmagomdeov was forced to withdraw from the upcoming UFC Nashville main event on Sat., Aug. 5, 2023 inside Bridgestone Arena in Tennessee, leaving matchmakers little time to find a replacement for No. 4-ranked Cory Sandhagen.
“The Schmozone” first reported the news on Wednesday.
No reason was given for Nurmagomedov’s withdrawal and Sandhagen has yet to comment on social media. Looking at the rest of the UFC Nashville lineup (see it here), there doesn’t appear to be an overwhelming number of fights that could be hastily promoted to headlining status.
Hopefully UFC can find someone of merit willing to face “The Sandman” on short notice.
Sandhagen (16-4) is coming off back-to-back victories over Song Yadong and Marlon Vera and could find himself back in the title picture with another high-profile victory. As for Nurmagomedov, four years younger than Sandhagen at 27, he’s remained perfect through 16 professional fights, which includes four straight wins under the UFC banner.
Expect more updates on this still-developing story in the coming days.