Cory Sandhagen, typically recognized for his striking prowess and knockout finishes, showcased impressive grappling skills during the UFC Des Moines main event. His ground reversal led to a serious knee injury for Deiveson Figueiredo, forcing an end to the bout.
The decisive maneuver wasn`t accidental. Both bantamweights were constantly jockeying for position on the mat. Sandhagen executed a roll from a seated position, advancing forward and trapping Figueiredo’s leg underneath him. As soon as Sandhagen regained his knees to deliver punches, Figueiredo showed clear signs of pain and tapped out moments later.
Replays painfully illustrated the way Figueiredo’s knee appeared to pop when Sandhagen secured his leg during the grappling sequence that concluded the fight at 4:08 in the second round.
Reflecting on the win, Sandhagen, who has trained extensively under renowned grappling expert Ryan Hall, commented, “If you don’t know how to play 50/50, your knee gets popped. It happened to T.J. [Dillashaw], it happened to Figgy.” He added, “If you don’t know how to play that position, you lose and I’m better there. I put him there, I sat up and it popped. That’s how it goes.”
Although the matchup was largely anticipated as a stand-up slugfest, Figueiredo seemingly believed he could disrupt Sandhagen`s rhythm by utilizing his wrestling and submission game.
An early takedown attempt by Figueiredo was successfully defended by Sandhagen, who then unleashed effective ground and pound. While Figueiredo attempted to maintain position for a submission, Sandhagen’s physical advantages, including size and reach, allowed him space to land heavy strikes from the top.
Figueiredo did connect with a solid right hand in the second frame, but the success was fleeting as he soon reverted to grappling. Sandhagen quickly reversed the situation and actively scrambled to avoid danger while continuously landing punches on Figueiredo.
Despite numerous attempts, Figueiredo was unable to mount a significant ground threat to Sandhagen, consistently trying to grab legs for submissions. Sandhagen remained composed, successfully freeing himself each time before punishing Figueiredo with strikes.
The final grappling exchange saw their legs become tangled again. Sandhagen capitalized with the roll, reaching a dominant seated posture, which apparently caused Figueiredo`s knee to pop. Sandhagen began throwing strikes but immediately recognized Figueiredo was injured, leading to the tap that ended the fight.
This was a crucial victory for Sandhagen, providing a strong bounce-back performance after his previous loss to Umar Nurmagomedov.
“Nothing fires you up like a loss,” Sandhagen stated. “I got a really good team behind me. I’m going to be champ one day. I’ve just got to keep working, working, working. That was a big ‘W’ for me. I’m just grateful for it.”
With this win, Sandhagen believes he has solidified his position as the rightful next contender for the bantamweight title, especially with champion Merab Dvalishvili scheduled to defend his belt in a rematch against Sean O’Malley at UFC 316 in June.
Sandhagen directly addressed the current title picture, declaring, “Sean O’Malley, Merab, I want the winner.” He even offered to serve as a backup fighter for their upcoming bout. He concluded with a heartfelt plea to the organization: “UFC, please give me an opportunity to show how great I am to the whole world, Please.”
