Cory Sandhagen steps in to replace the injured Aljamain Sterling at UFC 267 against Petr Yan for the Interim Bantamweight championship.
A Bantamweight title rematch between champion Aljamain Sterling and Peter Yan was on the cards before the champ pulled out of the fight with an injury. Sterling asked for a later date for the rematch but unfortunately, he is still recovering from his surgery and won’t be able to compete at UFC 267. As a result of that, #3 ranked Bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen (14-3-0) will take on Petr Yan for the Interim Bantamweight championship, the winner of which will fight Sterling for the undisputed title.
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The Sandman comes into the fight after a split decision loss to TJ Dillashaw at UFC Fight Night. Before that fight though, he made his way up the division with some incredible knockouts on Frankie Edgar and Marlon Moraes which has earned him his shot at the interim title.
As for his opponent, Petr “No Mercy” Yan (15-2-0), he was expecting to take on Aljamain Sterling by the end of this month and get his title back after he lost it to Sterling at UFC 259 when he landed an illegal knee strike. Prior to that, Yan was on a seven-fight win streak with knockouts against Jose Aldo and Utijah Faber, plus a couple of notable unanimous decision wins against Jimmie Rivera and John Dodson.
PREDICTION: CORY SANDHAGEN TO WIN VIA KO/TKO
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We all know that Petr Yan’ is one the most deserved Bantamweight champions we have seen over the years. His boxing skills are one of the best we have seen in his weight class and his relentless pace is UFC Gold material. We expect this fight to be a technical masterclass. Sandhagen has pulled off some unorthodox finishes in his recent victories and that is something we could see again if Yan’s defense is not on point.
What’s the Champs prediction?
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In one of his instagram posts, Sterling predicted a second round finish for Cory Sandhagen. The post said, “Morning session in the books! I will continue to push the bodi and rehab my neck. Sandman smokes Cheatr Pan in 2 RDS. Epic rematch to follow in December or early 2022 – Let them compete for 2nd place while I make sure my nervous system fully heals. Make all the jokes you want, I’ve done a lot in this sport and I’m not done yet! #AndStill”
UFC 267 MAIN CARD:
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▶ Jan Blachowicz (C) VS Glover Teixeira – UFC Light Heavyweight Title
▶ Cory Sandhagen VS Petr Yan – UFC Interim Bantamweight Title
▶ Islam Makhachev VS Dan Hooker – Lightweight Bout
▶ Alexander Volkov VS Marcin Tybura – Heavyweight Bout
▶ Li Jingliang VS Khamzat Chimaev – Welterweight Bout
▶ Magomed Ankalaev VS Volkan Oezdemir – Light Heavyweight Bout
[Image Credit: Petr Yan]
Shashank Iyer