3 next opponents for Cory Sandhagen

The UFC Abu Dhabi main event occurred between No. 2 ranked Cory Sandhagen and No. 10 ranked Umar Nurmagomedov. It was a high-level chess match with so much skill involved that it was entertaining to watch. Nurmagomedov won a unanimous decision, securing himself a top-five ranking and likely a title shot for his next fight. Sandhagen did not make it easy for Nurmagomedov, as he showed good skill in range striking and wrestling defense. Sandhagen deserves respect as he took a fight against a low-ranked killer not many in his position would take while still showing why he is a top contender. There are good opponent options for Sandhagen next, as he will look to pursue winning again.

1. Deiveson Figueiredo

No. 6 ranked Deiveson Figueiredo is coming off a unanimous decision win over No. 4 ranked Marlon Vera on the same day and card as Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov. Figueiredo looked good at wrestling and striking, as he became the first fighter to drop Vera, who seemed to have an unbreakable chin beforehand. He is one fight away from a title shot and a fight with Sandhagen, another top-five fighter, can be a final step in securing a title shot in his second weight class. Interestingly, two of Figueiredo's last three wins are against fighters Sandhagen also beat. Figueiredo arguably looked better in style winning against them than Sandhagen did.

Figueiredo has been competing in MMA since 2012, and he trains at Chute Box, a famous Brazilian gym with good fighters such as fan favorite and former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. He started 11-0, competing in different Brazilian organizations and finishing nearly every opponent. Figueiredo then came into the UFC in 2017 and went 6-1, with mostly finishes yet again as he worked to earn a flyweight title shot. He submitted top-five contender Joseph Benavidez in July 2020 to win the vacant title in a rematch of a fight Figueiredo was ineligible to win the title, due to missing weight. After submitting Alex Perez in a title defense on UFC 255, Figueiredo went on to have one of the most famous rivalries against Brandon Moreno, which ended in Moreno winning 2-1-1.

After losing his flyweight title shot for the second time at UFC 283 in January 2023, Figueiredo announced he was moving up to bantamweight due to the weigh cut hindering his career success as he was getting older and is already a massive fighter for that division. Beginning December 2023, Figueiredo began a solid bantamweight run to the top as he defeated the likes of Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon Vera. With his powerful striking and strong wrestling, he and Sandhagen would make a stylistic, interesting fight. There is a good chance that it is unlikely though, as Figueiredo loves to be active, and it is unknown when Sandhagen would want to return. Regardless, it could make a high-level war if both want it at some point.

2. Loser of Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili

This is a solid idea for Sandhagen as it is a high-stakes situation where two top-five fighters are coming off losses and need a win, pushing themselves to fight at their best. He has a history of being interested in battling both fighters at some point. Sandhagen has always said he and Sean O'Malley would be a fun fight for fans, and he is correct because of the styles each fighter possesses. Merab Dvalishvili is another interesting idea because Sandhagen called him out for a title eliminator after defeating Vera in March 2023. However, that did not happen due to Dvalishvili having a hand injury, leading to Sandhagen being scheduled to face Nurmagomedov and instead dominating Font.

O'Malley has been fighting in MMA since 2013 and trains at the MMA Lab with other skilled bantamweights, including Mario Bautista and Kyler Phillips. After an electrifying victory on Dana White's Contender Series, the skilled knockout machine, O'Malley, eventually worked his way up to win the title against dominant bantamweight champion Aljimain Sterling at UFC 292 in August 2023. Dvalishvili started MMA in 2014 and trains at Serra-Longo Fight Team, most notably with his long-time friend, Sterling. Despite starting his UFC career with two straight losses, Dvalishvili, a cardio machine of wrestling, has been on a 10-fight winning streak since 2018 that includes victories over former champions including Jose Aldo, Yan, and Henry Cejudo. O'Malley and Dvalishvilli have a high-level title showdown scheduled for UFC 306 on September 14. Sandhagen could keep an eye on the main event still, as the loser of that main event could make an intriguing fight for him.

3. Winner of Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista

Recently, it was announced that No. 8 ranked Jose Aldo would be battling No. 12 ranked Mario Bautista at UFC 307. The winner of this fight has a high chance of being set up with major opportunities to get into the top five rankings with fights against fighters like Sandhagen. When a fighter, like Sandhagen, loses a title eliminator or title fight, a likely scenario for them next is to fight backward in the rankings, usually to give someone, outside the top five, a chance to get into title contention. If Aldo wins against Bautista, he can get a shot at the top five and a fight against Sandhagen would add to his resume of competing with some of the best fighters at the top. If Bautista wins, he could earn a rematch with Sandhagen, who submitted him in his UFC debut in January 2019, and he gets an opportunity to show everyone how much he has improved since that loss.

Aldo started MMA in 2004, and he had one of the most dominant reigns as featherweight champion, with nine title defenses. He lost the title in a massive upset to now-superstar Conor McGregor in December 2015 at UFC 194. He remained at featherweight, where he beat good fighters, like Renato Moicano, and lost to the best fighters, such as Max Holloway. Aldo moved to bantamweight in 2019 where it was the same as he beat good fighters, such as Vera, but lost to the best fighters such as Yan and Dvalishvilli. He retired in 2022 after the Dvalishvilli loss and went to pursue boxing, which was pretty mediocre as it involved low-recognition fights. Aldo came out of retirement to face Jonathan Martinez in May 2024 at UFC 301, where he won a unanimous decision and a bantamweight ranking.

Bautista started MMA in 2017 and trains at the MMA Lab, as was stated earlier. After his loss to Sandhagen in his UFC debut in 2019, he has won more fights than he has lost. Bautista defeated Son Jin-soo and Miles Johns after Sandhagen, before he had a knockout loss to Trevin Jones at UFC 259 in March 2021. Ever since the Jones loss, he has been on a six-fight winning streak, with victories over fighters such as Brian Kelleher and Ricky Simón. Bautista's boxing and wrestling pace makes his rematch against Sandhagen much more interesting, especially if he can impressively beat Aldo. Meanwhile, Aldo has solid boxing, wrestling defense, and various, powerful kicks to have a war with Sandhagen.