After a mixed bag of fights at UFC Vegas 18, UFC bantamweight champion, Petr Yan, evidently had his eyes on one particular matchup. Top-ranked 135lb contenders, Cory Sandhagen and Frankie Edgar co-headlined the card, in a title eliminator bout.
Sandhagen was coming off an impressive wheel kick TKO over Marlon Moraes, whilst Edgar had previously outlasted Pedro Munhoz over a five-round war.
The second and fourth-ranked fighters were both seeking to be the next to fight for gold after the current title fight between Yan and Aljamain Sterling is resolved. Edgar was very much the veteran fighter going into the matchup. With over 30 fights on his resume, as well as having competed in three different weight categories. ‘The Answer’ at very least would hold the experience advantage. However, Sandhagen is quite possibly, the biggest prospect at 135lbs. A loss to Sterling in 2020 has appeared to do nothing to dent his confidence.
The fight ended brutally, within the first round. After some out-fighting, which involved leg kicks and footwork, Sandhagen caught Edgar stepping in with a vicious flying knee. Edgar was instantly KO’d, and crumpled to the mat.
In the post-fight interview, Sandhagen made it clear that he would be next to face either Yan or Sterling. Petr Yan has since responded through Twitter, initially complimenting him on his win. However, in the same tweet, Yan reminded Sandhagen that he is set to face the last man to defeat ‘The Sandman’ next.
Edgar is legend, time to move on. Good win for Cory. But hard to forget what my next opponent did to him. We’ll see what happens next
— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) February 7, 2021
Yan has previously stated that he has some interest in facing former champion TJ Dillashaw next. However, it is hard to deny Sandhagen the opportunity after such a stunning finish. Regardless, first Yan must get past Sterling, which as Sandhagen can surely attest to, is no walk in the park.
Do you think Sandhagen is deserving in the next title shot? Let us know in the comments.