After a couple of fights down that earned her pretty heavy criticism, Mackenzie Dern appeared to bounce back at UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi, earning a unanimous decision win over Loopy Godinez. The grappling prowess of Dern was on full display in the first round, nearly locking in an armbar attempt that appeared it’d be […]
After a couple of fights down that earned her pretty heavy criticism, Mackenzie Dern appeared to bounce back at UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi, earning a unanimous decision win over Loopy Godinez.
The grappling prowess of Dern was on full display in the first round, nearly locking in an armbar attempt that appeared it’d be tight and could have snapped Godinez’s arm. The Mexican, however, battled back in the second round, with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist’s lack of striking defense, which has earned her the previously mentioned criticism, rearing its head again.
The third round was closely contested, with Dern landing stronger strikes — though some may feel Godinez landed cleaner ones — and landing another takedown.
Ultimately, Dern took the decision with 29-28 scores on all three judges’ scorecards.
Mackenzie Dern Gets Nod In Close Battle With Loopy Godinez At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi
Dern is all gas, no breaks, but it looks sloppy. #UFCAbuDhabi
Commentary team is right, Dern’s striking defense isn’t great at all and hasn’t really evolved unlike her offensive striking has. Cost her the fight in this one and her takedown in the 3rd not keeping her down. Godinez should edge her 29-28 but close fight #UFCAbuDhabi
Should one top contender not get their expected shot at Zhang Weili’s UFC strawweight gold, Mackenzie Dern is open to facing her in the meantime instead. Dern was among the big victors to emerge from this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night event at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, where she got back in the […]
Should one top contender not get their expected shot at Zhang Weili’s UFC strawweight gold, Mackenzie Dern is open to facing her in the meantime instead.
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist entered the contest riding a two-fight losing skid, having been knocked out by former champion Jéssica Andrade last November and outpointed by Amanda Lemos this past February.
Having defended her spot in the strawweight pecking order, Dern has her sights set back on those above her and, specifically, an undefeated name…
Dern Likes Matchup Against Wrestling-Heavy Suarez
During a backstage interview for ESPN MMA, Dern reflected on her successful performance in Abu Dhabi and assessed what could lie next for her inside the Octagon.
While she acknowledged that the #1-ranked Tatiana Suarez is likely next in line for a shot at the belt, Dern put her name in the hat to face the undefeated American if that’s not the case.
“I’d like to fight November, hopefully,” Dern said. “I don’t really know too many people that are open. I would like to fight Tatiana Suarez if she doesn’t go for the belt. I think that would be a great matchup, a wrestler. So, I would like that fight.”
Suarez has won both of her fights since returning from an injury layoff that spanned close to four years. After defeating Montana De La Rosa up at flyweight, the Californian re-entered title contention at 115 pounds by submitting Andrade last August in Nashville.
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for Saturday’s lineup. The upcoming event takes place on Saturday, August 3, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The main card begins at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT, […]
Topping the lineup will be former interim bantamweight title challenger Cory Sandhagen, who is tasked with getting the better of undefeated Dagestani Umar Nurmagomedov if he’s to successfully defend his spot in the top five and stake his claim for shot at the undisputed gold.
Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see another unbeaten name in action as Sharabutdin Magomedov meets Micha? Oleksiejczuk on short notice, while Marlon Vera looks to revive his bantamweight championship ambitions at the expense of ex-flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo.
Also set to make the walk on Saturday will be the likes of lightweight veteran Tony Ferguson, strawweight submission specialist Mackenzie Dern, and rising light heavyweight contender Azamat Murzakanov.
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi (as of 8/2), courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Cory Sandhagen (-270) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (+340)
Sharabutdin Magomedov (-238) vs. Micha? Oleksiejczuk (+195)
Marlon Vera (+120) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (-142)
Tony Ferguson (+440) vs. Michael Chiesa (-600)
Mackenzie Dern (-118) vs. Loopy Godinez (-102)
Joel Álvarez (-166) vs. Elves Brener (+140)
Preliminary Card:
Azamat Murzakanov (-218) vs. Alonzo Menifield (+180)
Mohammad Yahya (+310) vs. Kaue Fernandes (-395)
Shamil Gaziev (-270) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (+220)
Guram Kutateladze (-230) vs. Jordan Vucenic (+190)
Cory Sandhagen recently shrugged off any apprehensions typically linked with the ‘Nurmagomedov’ name in the MMA world as he gears up for his bout against Umar Nurmagomedov. Sandhagen is set to clash with Umar in a high-stakes bantamweight showdown in the main event of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi, which is slated to take place […]
Cory Sandhagen recently shrugged off any apprehensions typically linked with the ‘Nurmagomedov’ name in the MMA world as he gears up for his bout against Umar Nurmagomedov.
With divisional champion Sean O’Malley set to defend his title against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 next month, the victor of Saturday night’s bout could end up in line to challenge the winner of that highly anticipated showdown.
Umar enters the fight surrounded by considerable hype, thanks to his ties to the legendary Nurmagomedov family. As a cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov and the elder brother of Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, the 28-year-old Dagestani is also renowned for his exceptional grappling and submission skills.
Despite this formidable lineage and the reputation it carries, “The Sandman” remains unfazed by any accompanying stigma…
Sandhagen Brims With Confidence In His Preparation for Umar
In a recent media session leading up to his August 3 fight, Sandhagen offered insights into his matchup with Umar. The former UFC interim title challenger revealed that he has dedicated extensive effort to preparing for this bout and is confident that his hard work will yield significant rewards on fight night.
“I had to work a lot of overtime hours to make sure that I was prepared for this fight,” Sandhagen said. “But yeah, I mean, the rankings, him coming up, the odds, the bettors—I could honestly give a sh*t or less. I’m focused on what I’m going to do on Saturday and that’s executing under the lights, and I can’t wait for that. It’s weird that people are counting me out for this one.”
“The Sandman” further brushed off concerns about Nurmagomedov’s reputation for dominance, emphasizing instead that he matches his opponent’s wrestling prowess.
“No one’s seen me defensively wrestle, almost ever, you know, except for the situation with [Aljamain] Sterling. That’s what we’ll call that loss—a situation. The situation with Sterling was, what, four years ago? I was two years into my career then; I’m six or seven years into my career now, and still no one’s really seen it. So it’s just another element that I get to show to people.”
Sandhagen has long been a fixture among the elite in the UFC’s bantamweight division, fueled by his relentless quest for a title. Currently on a three-fight winning streak, the 32-year-old Colorado native has delivered standout performances against Song Yadong, Marlon Vera, and Rob Font.
UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov believes he knows the reason behind Sean O’Malley’s recent remarks. Nurmagomedov, who currently occupies the #10 spot at 135 pounds, is in Abu Dhabi this week ahead of a major assignment. The undefeated Dagestani will feature in his maiden UFC main event opposite a top-five contender and former interim title […]
The pair were originally set to collide in Nashville last August, but a dislocated shoulder in training forced Nurmagomedov out. While “The Sandman” defeated replacement opponent Rob Font before heading for surgery to repair a torn tricep, the Russian escaped a scare in his successful return opposite debutant Bekzat Almakhan this past March.
Nurmagomedov will now face a major step up in competition in his pursuit of O’Malley’s gold, and the champion appears to have one eye on the highly touted contender’s rise. Most recently, “Sugar” predicted that the 28-year-old would likely withdraw from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in the Middle East.
“I’ll tune in…if it happens,” O’Malley told MMA Fighting. “We know Umar likes to pull out if something happens. I’ll be surprised if the fight happens.”
Nurmagomedov: O’Malley ‘Praying’ I Don’t Earn A Title Shot
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Nurmagomedov looked ahead to the biggest fight of his blossoming UFC career thus far.
Nurmagomedov is sure that neither man wants to face him, and he used the champ’s prediction that he’ll withdraw from the August 3 event as evidence.
“I think they pray,” Nurmagomedov said. “They hope I will pull out and will not take this opportunity to fight for the title. They wish this.
“For me it doesn’t matter who wins (out of O’Malley and Dvalishvili). It’s a very hard fight for both,” Nurmagomedov continued. “One is a wrestling, one is a striker weight height. He is tall. Stylistically, for me, personally it’s very difficult to say who is going to win. I don’t know.”
Having made it to fight week for his rearranged battle with “The Sandman,” Nurmagomedov will look to complete the walk this Saturday at Etihad Arena and have his hand raised for his sixth Octagon triumph.
And should he impress, the Russian looks set to have the opportunity to become the UFC”s latest American Kickboxing Academy standout and Nurmagomedov to win gold.
Those who were hoping to see another Nick Diaz appearance in the Octagon really soon will be disappointed. Per the broadcast of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night, a “travel issue” has left Diaz unable to compete in his scheduled co-main event bout with Vicente Luque on Aug. 3, when the promotion holds a UFC Fight Night […]
Those who were hoping to see another Nick Diaz appearance in the Octagon really soon will be disappointed.
Per the broadcast of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night, a “travel issue” has left Diaz unable to compete in his scheduled co-main event bout with Vicente Luque on Aug. 3, when the promotion holds a UFC Fight Night card at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
It was announced that undefeated middleweight prospect Sharabutdin “Bullet” Magomedov will now be featured in the new co-main event, taking on Michal Oleksiejczuk.
Diaz’s last UFC appearance came at UFC 266 in September 2021, losing to Robbie Lawler. That marked the Stockton star’s first MMA fight since his January 2015 clash with Anderson Silva.
Luque, meanwhile, has lost three of his last four, most recently being stopped by Joaquin Buckley at UFC Fight Night Atlantic City.
The UFC is expected to reschedule Luque vs. Diaz for an event at a late date.
Luque & Diaz Out, Magomedov In For UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi
Magomedov competed just last month at UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia, scoring a third-round finish of Antonio Trócoli. He made his Octagon debut in Abu Dhabi last year, defeating Bruno Silva at UFC 294.
Oleksiejczuk, on the other hand, has lost three of his last four, most recently being submitted by Kevin Holland at UFC 302 last month in Newark.
UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi on August 3 will be headlined by Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov. It is the first of two events to take place in Abu Dhabi this year, with UFC 308 to be held in the same location on October 26.
(@OpenNoteGrapple) August 3, 2024
(@OpenNoteGrapple) 
guess we are about to find out.
