Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov confirmed as headline bout at Fight Night in Abu Dhabi

Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov have been confirmed as the mouth-watering headline bout at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi.

No 2-ranked bantamweight contender Sandhagen will take on unbeaten rising star Nurmagomedov at the Etihad Arena on Saturday, August 3.

American Sandhagen, whose record stands at 17-4, returns to the UAE capital to cement his status as top contender in the bantamweight division.

The Colorado native boasts wins over Rob Font, Chito Vera, and soon-to-be UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar.

On his first visit to the UAE capital at UFC Fight Night 179 in 2020, he knocked out Marlon Moraes in the second round, earning him the Performance of the Night award.

His last trip to Abu Dhabi was less successful as he lost by unanimous decision against Petr Yan for the interim UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 267 in 2021. The contest won Fight of the Night.

Sandhagen now hopes for a convincing win over up-and-coming Nurmagomedov to make his case for a title shot against current champion Sean O'Malley.

He had been due to meet Nurmagomedov in Nashville in August last year at UFC on ESPN before the Russian withdrew due to a shoulder injury and was replaced by Font. Sandhagen beat Font by unanimous decision despite tearing his right triceps in the first round.

Nurmagomedov, cousin of former undefeated lightweight champion Khabib and older brother of Bellator champion Usman, has an MMA record of 17-0 and will be making his second appearance in Abu Dhabi.

He defeated Sergey Morozov by second-round technical submission at UFC Fight Night at Etihad Arena in January 2021.

He has also made his mark in the division by delivering dominant performances against Raoni Barcelos and Brian Kelleher.

His most recent victory was a