Decked out in white and blue Venum fight shorts, Cory Sandhagen laid on the octagon canvas with his leg locked around Deiveson Figueiredo’s left knee at UFC Fight Night in Des Moines.
In round two of the main event, the two bantamweights were in a battle for a leg lock on the ground.
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Like a clamp, Sandhagen tightened a firm hold on Figueiredo’s leg.
To break the grip, Figueiredo shifted to his right, but his knee suddenly popped. Sandhagen swept in with a barrage of punches to secure a TKO win due to an injury at Wells Fargo Arena on May 3.
“You’re not going to beat me at leglocks ever,” Sandhagen said during the post-fight press conference. “You can attack my legs all you want. Those are very technical spots, I’m very good at those spots … at no point was I in danger.”
More: Full results, analysis of UFC Fight Night in Des Moines, Sandhagen vs Figueiredo
With a victory over a two-time flyweight champion and top bantamweight contender in Figueiredo, Sandhagen cleared a path to a potential title shot. The idea of fighting for a world title isn’t far-fetched for the Aurora, Colorado, native. In fact, it makes total sense.
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“Me and my agency are going to talk to (the UFC) to see what’s kind of next; I think I deserve a title shot next regardless,” Sandhagen said. “(Figueiredo), I think maybe, hit me one time so I showed that I’m better. I showed that I’m the best guy and I deserve to be next.”
Sandhagen’s resume makes a strong case for a title opportunity. His win in Des Moines moved him into a tie for the fifth-most finishes in UFC bantamweight history, with six. Sandhagen, whose dad is from Manchester, Iowa, also took home a $50,000 performance bonus.
He’s won four of his last five fights. He earned three straight wins over Song Yadong, Marlon Vera and Rob Font before he fell to Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision in August 2024. Nine months later, Sandhagen has once again distinguished himself as a prime candidate for UFC gold.
UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen earned a TKO (injury) over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Fight Night at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on May 3.
Sandhagen said that he is willing to wait for the winner of UFC’s upcoming bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley on June 7.
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While that story is currently unwritten, Sandhagen’s self-belief is undeniable. It mirrors the type of grit he possesses each time he steps into the octagon. Currently the No. 4 ranked UFC bantamweight, he’s a scrapper willing to engage in a war with the division’s best whether it’s on the ground or on the feet.
A UFC title remains the one prize that the 33-year-old has yet to add to his resume. His win in Des Moines has inched him one step closer to that dream.
Marc Ray is the high school sports reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. He can be reached at [email protected], and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen eyes title shot after win in Des Moines
