Georges St-Pierre’s renowned head coach, Firas Zahabi, recently weighed in on Cory Sandhagen’s performance, suggesting that his lack of elite wrestling skills was a significant factor in his defeat against Umar Nurmagomedov.
Sandhagen faced a challenging defeat by a unanimous decision to Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi last Saturday at the Etihad Arena, once again putting his bantamweight title aspirations on hold.
Nurmagomedov controlled the fight’s tempo almost entirely, showcasing his trademark mix of rapid, diverse striking and dynamic wrestling. He skillfully maneuvered into dominant positions, contorting “The Sandman” at multiple points throughout the contest. Despite Sandhagen’s impeccable defensive acumen and his ability to escape from tight spots, he couldn’t launch a sustained offense to disrupt the relentless Dagestani.
As the fight wore on, Nurmagomedov steadily widened his lead. Though Sandhagen valiantly attempted to rally, his efforts fell short against the relentless onslaught of his opponent. Nurmagomedov maintained his aggressive pace, and finally, all three judges unanimously scored the bout in his favor.
Going 18-0 in dominant fashion
Should a title shot be next for Umar Nurmagomedov after #UFCAbuDhabi?@VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/6EYPDTXtj9
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) August 4, 2024
Before the fight, there was widespread belief that Sandhagen would be outmatched by Nurmagomedov’s superior wrestling and grappling skills, and those predictions came true. According to Zahabi, Sandhagen’s defeat stemmed from straying from his game plan after conceding early takedowns…
Zahabi Believes Sandhagen Could Have Dodged Early Takedown Against Nurmagomedov
During a recent video on Tristar Gym’s YouTube channel, Zahabi dissected the Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov bout. When a fan questioned whether Sandhagen is “too kind in nature to be elite” against opponents with strong wrestling backgrounds, the esteemed MMA coach shot down the notion. Rather, he zeroed in on the issues faced by the American being technical instead of mental, noting that “The Sandman” appeared taken aback by Nurmagomedov’s early takedowns, which significantly impacted his performance.
“I really think what screwed him up, what really turned his game plan upside down was he got taken down so early,” Zahabi said. “He got his back exposed even though he got out of it quickly, it’s like ‘wow, that guy shoots really fast; I wasn’t ready for that.’ It seemed like he was a little bit shocked, and then he got taken down again. Yes, but there were two takedowns I think he gave for free when he kicked the leg. I would have told him don’t kick the leg; it’s not a good idea. And those two takedowns, I think, just added to the dominance of Umar. They could have been easily avoided.”
Zahabi further suggested that Sandhagen could have benefited from attempting more takedowns himself, which might have thrown his opponent off balance.”
“Honestly, I think if you threaten people with your takedowns and you threaten them with striking, you’re kind of creating a dilemma. The guy knows, ‘Hey, I can get taken down; I lose this entire round.’ He’s got to divide his attention. He’s got to be on the lookout for that takedown.”
Prior to this setback, Sandhagen was riding high on a three-fight winning streak, which included impressive victories over former bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera and Song Yadong.
The American had previously vied for the interim title at UFC 267 in October 2021, where he fought valiantly but ultimately fell short in a grueling five-round battle against Petr Yan.
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