Athletes
Cory Sandhagen: ‘The Time Is Now’
Hoping To Break Into The Bantamweight Title Picture, Cory Sandhagen Believes He Has Done Everything To Evolve Into The Best Version Of Himself Yet Heading Into May 3
Cory Sandhagen is clear minded about his intentions as he approaches his sixth main event on May 3.
He needs to take out former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, and he’d like to do so in a way that puts him back in the thick of the bantamweight title picture. Part of the clarity comes with age and experience. The Colorado native has 14 UFC fights under his belt, and about half of that tenure has been spent in the division’s ultracompetitive Top 10.
The 33-year-old conveys a sharp sense of urgency when it comes to his pursuit of the elusive UFC title heading into his headliner in Des Moines, Iowa.
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“The time to win the belt is now,” Sandhagen told UFC.com. “A lot of the reason why I'm still kind of doing this whenever I need an extra push or motivation is I try to think of that 16, 17-year-old kid that was on the track running sprints on Thanksgiving and on Christmas and working his butt off because one day he wanted to be in the spot that I'm in right now. It's time to do it for me and for that kid.”
Sandhagen came into the promotion as a highly touted 25-year-old prospect boasting a 7-1 record with all the skills you would want to see from a future contender. He kicked off his UFC career with five consecutive wins, landing in a No. 1 contender fight with Aljamain Sterling about two-and-a-half years after his debut. However, a moment of potential triumph became a key moment of growth as Sterling submitted Sandhagen less than 90 seconds into their bout and would go on to win the bantamweight title.
That fight was formative for the mindful Sandhagen, who reworked his approach to the fight game and scored back-to-back highlight-reel knockouts of Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar. Sandhagen would go on to fight for the interim title, losing a Fight of the Year candidate to Petr Yan in October 2021, but he bounced back strongly again and racked up a trio of wins in a year-long span to get back into the title discussion.
That would lead into a main event assignment against the then-undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi. Few were raising their hands to fight “Cousin Umar,” and for good reason. When they squared off in August 2024, Sandhagen found himself a step behind despite stuffing more than half of Nurmagomedov’s takedowns, ultimately losing a decision result. Nurmagomedov would go on to challenge current champion Merab Dvalishvili but lost on the scorecards.
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Despite the disappointment, Sandhagen was able to identify some key positives from the bout. For one, he gained plenty of confidence in his ever-improving grappling, and he also believes he can manage fights a little bit better, as well.
“I try to just juice out the losses with as much good stuff as I can,” he said. “I'm in this for the long run. I have two goals. It's to be a world champion and then also to be the best martial artist that I can before I age out. One of those is unachievable, but winning the world title certainly is.”
Another piece of invaluable experience is more time with Trevor Wittman, who he brought into his camp for the first time ahead of the bout in Abu Dhabi. Wittman, who has coached Justin Gaethje, Rose Namajunas and Kamaru Usman in some of their biggest moments, is particularly known for his thoughtful approach to the striking realm.
After the loss to Nurmagomedov, Sandhagen couldn’t get back into the gym quickly enough, and is proud of the work he, Wittman and Carrington Banks put in ahead of this fight.
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“I worked my ass off from that loss up until now,” Sandhagen said. “The second I could start working out again, I was working out again. Me and Trevor, (it was) like we were in training camp. Learning, experimenting with new stuff, all of that. Trying to learn all of that. We worked real hard in that off-time, and it's going to come to light for sure.”
Sandhagen feels like his team is working better “than we’ve ever worked,” not only from a technical aspect but also the always-top-of-mind mental approach to the fight game. Wittman helped Sandhagen with finding a different level of confidence in his skills, and Banks, who Sandhagen said understands him “better than almost anyone in life,” is one of his closest friends,as well as his main wrestling coach.
Other than his wife, Erica, there isn’t anything Sandhagen loves more than fighting. If he didn’t have to market himself or do any interviews ahead of the fight, he wouldn’t, but as of late, he has shown more of his personality. From detailed fight breakdowns to satirical vlogs ahead of his fight with Figueiredo, Sandhagen knows it does play a part in his success as a professional fighter.
“A big piece of why I'm doing this whole thing is because I think that there's no other better feeling in life than feeling inspired,” he said. “If I can make someone feel like they're like me and they can do something because I've done something, then that's a cool feeling.”
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But ultimately, the fight game is a results-based business, and getting back in the win column is the most important thing for Sandhagen. Although he called for a fight with Sean O’Malley—a fight he wants because the fans have expressed their desire to see the two compete—he was more than happy to face Figueiredo.
Figueiredo, who moved up to bantamweight after a long time spent atop the flyweight division, is coming off a decision loss to Petr Yan, his first defeat in the weight class. Compared with Nurmagomedov, Sandhagen is happy to face someone with a more straightforward style and thus focus more on what he can bring to the Octagon on May 3.
As Sandhagen always does, he is looking forward to “dismantling” Figueiredo and then hopefully call for the role as the backup fighter when Dvalisvhili and O’Malley collide at UFC 316 in New Jersey. It’s an assertiveness not normally associated with Sandhagen outside of the Octagon, but it’s one he knows he needs to have if he wants to make that 16-year-old’s ultimate dream come true.
“I got to make my own luck,” Sandhagen said. “I think that if I go out and whip his ass —nothing against Figgy, if it was anyone on Saturday night, I'd be whipping their ass—that's just what I gotta do in order to really stamp this thing.
“I'm going to do everything I can. The time is now.”
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo took place live from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa on May 3, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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