We already know what Dana White thinks of Abu Dhabi, and the MMA mogul was so eager to get back to Abu Dhabi that he couldn’t even wait a full calendar year before returning to Yas Island. On Saturday August 3, Cory Sandhagen (no.2 bantamweight in the world) faces Umar Nurmagomedov on Fight Island, officially titled: UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Sandhagen Vs Nurmagomedov.
Tickets go on sale at 1pm GST on Tuesday, May 7, and can be bought here and here. Fight Club members can purchase tickets early at 11am on Monday, May 7, while those who registered their interest early in this event will gain priority access at 12pm GST Monday.
For UFC fans, this is an exciting bout, because it will presumably determine next in line for The Bantamweight title, currently held by the closest thing the UFC has to Conor McGregor, ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley.
But even for the uninitiated, the last name Nurmagomedov is synonymous with one thing: MMA brilliance, and if Umar’s wrestling is anything like Khabib’s (who many consider to be the goat), then Sandhagen, a known striker, will have a long, and painful night in front of him.
The city of Dagestan has become mythical in its ability to continuously pump out the most intimidating, fearless, wrestling-adept fighters on the planet, all of whom look strikingly similar as well. Khabib’s reign as lightweight king ended after his father’s tragic death from Covid complications, resulting in Khabib stepping away from the UFC forever, attributing this decision to a promise he made to his mother. Still, Dana White has been open about his attempts to get the Sambo master back in the cage, openly revealing that he has offered the Russian native ‘insane amounts of money.’
With that said, Islam Makhachev, Khabib’s Dagestani prodigy, is doing just fine as the current Lightweight Champion, and most recently knocked out Alexander Volkanovski in Abu Dhabi October of 2023.
Whether Sandhagen can keep it on the feet remains to be seen, but either way, fireworks are guaranteed.
For more information and to register interest for early access to tickets and event news, click here.
