Cory Sandhagen‘s wrestling-heavy strategy during UFC Nashville, which led to his 50-45 shutout of Rob Font, was a response to Font’s physical attributes, not to the absence of Umar Nurmagomedov, and despite crowd disapproval, Sandhagen defended his approach as necessary for his victory.
Umar Nurmagomedov was not the inspiration behind Cory Sandhagen’s wrestling-focused strategy in UFC Nashville. Instead, Rob Font’s long reach and powerful fists served as the basis for Sandhagen’s approach. The crowd’s response was not in favor of Sandhagen despite his dominant 50-45 victory over Font in the main event. Sandhagen’s approach was influenced by the fact that Font was a last-minute replacement for the injured Nurmagomedov. He expressed remorse over not being able to offer the thrilling fight the audience sought, but he felt his strategy was justified given the circumstances.
Sandhagen declared his affection for the crowd during the UFC Nashville post-show, expressing his desire to provide an exciting performance. Despite his victory in the ring, he noted the crowd’s hunger for a bloodier fight, something he has delivered plenty of in the past. However, due to the unique circumstances of this fight, he acknowledged that he had to adapt his approach in order to secure a win.
Even more paramount was his need to rely on wrestling due to a tricep injury that flared up in the first round of the fight. This injury had previously threatened his ability to participate in the bout at all. However, he took the risk, hoping to weather the fight for the sake of fans who, despite the boos, he wanted to perform for. During the post-fight press conference, Sandhagen humorously pointed out the irony of the fan’s displeasure relative to his genuine desires to give them a good show.
UFC bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, who was part of the audience, seemed to be more critical of Font’s game plan as opposed to Sandhagen’s approach. While Sandhagen’s next step after his title defense against Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 remains unclear, he articulated his hope that he wouldn’t need to move to the featherweight division. He expressed respect for Sterling, but also laid claim to wanting to be the one to defeat him before he leaves the division. He confidently asserted that his consecutive wins against notable contenders make him deserving of the next title shot.