ABU DHABI: Umar Nurmagomedov has dedicated his victory over No. 2-ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to his family.
Maintaining his undefeated record, Nurmagomedov’s victory now moves him a step closer to a UFC title shot.
The Dagestani powerhouse, whose record now stands at 18-0-0, executed a masterclass, overpowering Sandhagen (17-5-0) from start to finish. All judges scored the bout in favor of Nurmagomedov.
Cornered by his cousin and former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, he extended his UFC winning streak to five, further cementing his reputation as a rising star.
“I bring one more victory in the main event to my family, and the legacy continues,” said Nurmagomedov. “It was very good. It was very hard fighting in front of my people, my father, uncles. It was pressure. It pushed me a little bit. And now, thank God, I make everyone happy.”
He thanked the fans for their support and asked them to come and watch UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26. “It’s going to be very good matchups. It’s going to be a good main event. I think I will come to see this fight myself, personally.”
The atmosphere was electric, with a packed arena and a roster of celebrities, including lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and welterweight champion Belal Muhammad.
Earlier in the night, the fight card lived up to its billing with Shara Magomedov winning a unanimous decision over Michal Oleksiejczuk in their middleweight clash.
“This fight was my dream. I’m happy, very, very happy. Every time I’m conquering new territory,” said Magomedov. Last night’s victory marks Magomedov’s third straight win in the UFC.
Deiveson Figueiredo’s impressive victory over Marlon Vera in their bantamweight battle was another highlight of the night. “It’s great to be back here, fighting again, winning again,” said Figueiredo.
The former two-time flyweight champion said: “I really want to fight for the (bantamweight) belt. Whoever wins between Merab (Dvalishvili) and (champion) Sean O’Malley, I really want to fight them for the belt.”
In other action Michael Chiesa submitted Tony Ferguson, Mackenzie Dern beat Loopy Godinez, Joel Alvarez knocked out Elves Brener, and Guram Kutateladze triumphed over Jordan Vucenic.
