“I was supposed to fight him, but I pulled out due to injury, and I need to close this issue, because everyone says that I withdrew from this fight because of fear, and I want to prove that it’s not true,” the Russian told ESPN. “For me, the fight with Corey is one of the toughest fights in the division. Nobody fights like him.”
“He’s a very talented and technical fighter and I like that – it’s a big challenge for me. I think Corey is the toughest opponent for me, even tougher than Sean O’Malley. He has a very high fight IQ. If I have a choice, of course I want to fight Corey.”
“I hope they will confirm this fight soon and I will start planning my training schedule – when I start training camp and when I go to the US. It would be preferable for me to fight on August 3, but if it’s June 29 – chase it, no problem. Right now I’m just waiting for the contract so I can sign it and start training. The sooner I sign it, the better.”
The fight between Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov was scheduled to headline UFC on ESPN 50 in Nashville last August, but the Russian was injured and withdrew from the bout, while the American fighter defeated his compatriot Rob Font by unanimous decision.
Ten days ago, Umar Nurmagomedov successfully resumed his career after more than a year off, defeating organization debutant Bekzat Almakhan by unanimous decision.