Cory Sandhagen knew precisely what he was doing grappling with Deiveson Figueiredo.
Saturday’s UFC Des Moines bantamweight essential occasion led to ugly vogue when a Sandhagen assault resulted in Figueiredo having to faucet out to a leg damage within the second spherical (the official resolution was a TKO win for Sandhagen). Previous to that sequence, Sandhagen dominated nearly all of the competition, displaying he was unafraid to commerce strikes or go to the bottom with the two-time flyweight champion.
It was on the bottom the place Sandhagen proved to be far superior as he utilized his submission expertise to place the strain on Figueiredo and earn the end.
“It was like a pop submission,” Sandhagen stated on the night’s post-fight press convention. “The place’s referred to as ‘50/50.’ If you happen to don’t know play 50/50, you’re going to pop your knee. I spun underneath, I went for a bottom 50/50, it didn’t hit, he acquired on high, I sat up actually onerous simply to get on high and if I sit up onerous and also you don’t sit again, your knee goes to pop. It occurred to T.J. [Dillashaw] once I did that to him, it occurred to Figgy, I heard it click on actually loud.
“In order that wasn’t like an unintentional factor. That was like a ‘Hey, Figgy, you’re both going to sit down down in your butt or we’re popping your knee.’ And that’s what occurred.”
Sandhagen credited his 50/50 experience to teach Ryan Corridor, a veteran fighter well-known for innovating the grappling place. Provided that Sandhagen has labored with Corridor for years, he’s much more confused as to why Figueiredo would mess around able he appeared unprepared for.
“He didn’t have that in any respect,” Sandhagen stated. “I don’t actually know what he was doing. Even once I was hitting him, he wasn’t stopping. My arm hurts from hitting him with it. I don’t know actually what that was about, however you’re not going to beat me at leglocks ever.”
With the win, Sandhagen rebounded from a loss to Umar Nurmagomedov this previous August, a end result that earned Nurmagomedov a shot at bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311. That made it 4 opponents (additionally together with Aljamain Sterling, T.J. Dillashaw, and Petr Yan) that parlayed wins over Sandhagen into title alternatives of their subsequent fights.
Sandhagen was requested if he’d prefer to be the backup for Dvalishvili’s upcoming championship rematch with Sean O’Malley at UFC 316 on June 7, however he has a greater thought.
“I feel I deserve the title shot subsequent, regardless,” Sandhagen stated. “Who else is there? Umar simply fought for the belt, misplaced. Yan is coming off of a win but additionally misplaced to each of the blokes which might be preventing, so I don’t know the way thrilling that may be. After which I completed Figgy in a spherical and a half, Yan didn’t end Figgy. Yan acquired dropped by Figgy, Figgy I feel perhaps hit me one time. So I confirmed that I’m higher. I confirmed that I’m the most effective man and I should be subsequent.”
Whoever wins the UFC 316 essential occasion may not be inclined to make a fast turnaround to defend the title. Even so, Sandhagen has waited a very long time for his championship alternative so he plans to remain affected person—to a degree.
“If it’s the belt subsequent, I’ll wait,” Sandhagen stated. “I’ll wait. I don’t know the way lengthy, however I’ll wait.”
