UFC on ABC Betting Preview: Can Cory Sandhagen Prevent the Rise of Another Nurmagomedov?

July 30, 2024

4 months

Cory Sandhagen has felt for many years that his career is destined to make him the Charlie Brown of the UFC. Sandhagen, a confident, capable Bantamweight contender, always has the proverbial football pulled out from underneath his feet right before he can kick it. With a win over Umar Nurmagomedov, Sandhagen may finally get the opportunity to challenge for the unified title.

All three of Sandhagen’s losses in the UFC have come against fighters who were champions at one point in their careers. Sandhagen lost to Petr Yan when fighting for the interim bantamweight belt. He also lost a controversial split decision against T.J. Dillashaw, and Aljamain Sterling submitted him during a title eliminator at UFC 250 in June 2020.

This weekend, Sandhagen is tasked with slowing Umar Nurmagodemov’s hype train in the United Arab Emirates. Nurmagomedov is the cousin of former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and the older brother of Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov. Much like his cousin, Umar has yet to taste defeat.

Umar is 17-0 in his career, and MMAfighting latest news shows he is a strong grappler, as is expected in his family. Umar has seven wins by submission but has seen eight fights go the scorecards. This is a tough fight, as Umar must be proven against top fighters.

Bets to consider: Under 4.5 rounds

Shara Bullet Ready for Another Opportunity

Sharabutdin Magomedov got a wake-up call last month ahead of his fight with Michael Oleksiejczuk this weekend. Magomedov had a perfect opportunity to showcase his brilliant striking against Antonio Trocoli. Trocoli took the fight on short notice and had to fly to Saudi Arabia late in the week.

But Magomedov didn’t make quick work of him as many anticipated he would, given the circumstances. While Magomedov was excellent on his feet, according to MMAbreaking news, he needed to grab the fence to avoid being taken down in the second round. Magomedov got the knockout in the third round to improve to 13-0, but now he knows what it’s like to be pushed.

Oleksiejczuk has lost three of his past four fights by decision. He has been submitted six times in his career but has plenty of power in his hands, as he has 14 wins by KO. This one should end with one fighter being put down.

Bets to consider: Fight to end in KO, Magodemov by KO/TKO/DQ, Under 1.5 rounds

Figueiredo Seeks Third Straight Win at Bantamweight

Following a four-fight battle with Brandon Moreno for the flyweight championship, Deiveson Figueiredo decided he wanted to move up in weight to challenge a new class of opponent. Former title contender Marlon Vera will be the next man in line to try and knock the former flyweight champion down a peg.

Figueiredo submitted former champion Cody Garbrandt during his last fight at UFC 300. Vera is a fighter who prefers to strike and is coming off a disappointing performance against Sean O’Malley. Vera will need to utilize all of his strikes to keep Figueiredo at range.

While Figueiredo is capable of scoring a knockout, Vera has a good chin and won’t be put down easily.

Bets to consider: Vera +142

Ferguson Needs Win to Avoid Further Tainting Legacy

The damage may already be done to Tony Ferguson’s legacy, according to MMA latest updates. Ferguson has lost seven straight fights entering his bout with Michael Chiesa this weekend. While Ferguson is still difficult to finish, he isn’t as dangerous as he used to be.

Ferguson never won a unified title in the UFC and only briefly held the interim UFC lightweight title. Never getting the opportunity to fight Khabib Nurmagodemov robbed him of the opportunity to measure himself against other fighters in the history books.

Chiesa is a heavy favorite to win the fight and is a grappling specialist. If Chiesa can control Ferguson on the ground, he could look for another victory. Chiesa has lost three straight fights, including two by submission, but likely has enough in the tank to beat the ghosts of Tony Ferguson.

Bets to consider: Fight to not go the distance, Chiesa by submission

Mackenzie Dern Looks to Get Back to Basics

Mackenzie Dern has been paired with some of the more powerful strikers in the UFC strawweight division during her last two fights. Things didn’t go well for Dern, who suffered a knockout loss to Jessica Andrade and took a major beating from Amanda Lemos in a decision loss. This weekend, the best MMA news site shows that Dern will be paired with a grappler, Loopy Godinez.

Godinez is a strong wrestler. Going to the ground with Dern, a BJJ specialist, could present problems for Godinez. Dern has lost four of her past six fights.

Dern is a slight favorite in this fight and is worth making a bet on. If she can’t beat Godinez, Dern’s career may be in trouble.

Bets to consider: Dern -130, Over 2.5 rounds

Álvarez Should Open Card With a Bang

Joel Álvarez is always able to produce an excellent end to a fight. Twenty-two of his 23 fights have ended inside the distance. Álvarez has been on the winning side of 20 of those bouts, including picking up 17 submission wins.

Álvarez is paired with another strong submission specialist this weekend. Elves Brener is 16-4 during his MMA career and has won 11 of his 16 fights via submission. This one should be the perfect fight to kick off the card.

Bets to consider: Fight to not go the distance

Here are some quick picks for the other fights on the card: