Cory Sandhagen delivered a performance on Saturday that strongly asserted his claim for a bantamweight championship opportunity.
Competing in the main event at UFC Des Moines, Sandhagen demonstrated clear dominance over former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. He appeared well on his way to securing either a decision victory or a stoppage win before the bout was prematurely halted in the second round due to an injury sustained by Figueiredo. Despite this unfortunate ending, Sandhagen`s impressive showing leaves little doubt about his readiness for a title shot. The key question now is whether the UFC brass views him as the rightful top contender in the division.
Discussions regarding potential next fights for various competitors from the event are underway. This includes exploring the logical next step for Sandhagen, especially in light of the upcoming bantamweight title rematch between champion Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley, scheduled for UFC 316 on June 7. Additionally, potential future opponents are being considered for Reinier de Ridder following his victory over Bo Nickal, analyzing what comes next for Bo Nickal after suffering his first professional loss in mixed martial arts, and looking at the paths forward for veteran welterweight Daniel Rodriguez, main card bantamweight winners Montel Jackson and Serhiy Sidey, and the recently returned Mason Jones.
