Cory Sandhagen showcased his grappling skills by reversing a position on the ground, causing a knee injury to Deiveson Figueiredo, which ended the UFC Des Moines main event and positioned Sandhagen for a potential bantamweight title shot.
Cory Sandhagen, often celebrated for his knockout prowess, showcased his grappling chops on Saturday. He executed a slick reversal that left Deiveson Figueiredo with a gnarly knee injury, abruptly ending the UFC Des Moines main event.
The move was no fluke. As the bantamweights tussled for dominance, Sandhagen rolled from a seated position. In a twist of fate, Figueiredo’s leg got caught, and once Sandhagen was back on his knees, he unleashed a flurry of punches. Figueiredo, in visible agony, tapped out moments later.
Replays captured the brutal moment Figueiredo’s knee gave way. Sandhagen, trained under grappling ace Ryan Hall, remarked, “If you don’t know how to play 50/50, your knee gets popped. It happened to T.J. [Dillashaw], it happened to Figgy.”
The fight was expected to be a striking battle. Yet, Figueiredo aimed to leverage his wrestling, hoping to unsettle Sandhagen. Early on, he attempted a takedown, only for Sandhagen to counter and unleash vicious ground and pound.
Despite a brief success with a right hand in the second round, Figueiredo reverted to grappling. Sandhagen swiftly reversed positions, constantly evading danger while landing punishing blows.
Try as he might, Figueiredo couldn’t threaten Sandhagen on the mat. He kept reaching for submissions, but Sandhagen slipped free each time, delivering relentless strikes.
The final scramble saw their legs entwined once more. Sandhagen capitalized with a roll, leading to Figueiredo’s knee popping. Recognizing the injury, Sandhagen paused as Figueiredo tapped out.
This victory was crucial for Sandhagen after his loss to Umar Nurmagomedov. “Nothing fires you up like a loss,” he reflected. “I’ve got a great team. I’ll be champ one day.”
With this win, Sandhagen eyes a title shot, especially with champion Merab Dvalishvili set to defend against Sean O’Malley. “Sean O’Malley, Merab, I want the winner,” Sandhagen declared, eager for a chance to prove his greatness.