Cory Sandhagen became a UFC contender overnight by beating a fighter 8 inches shorter than him.
The highest-ranking bantamweight that’s yet to get his hands on champion Merab Dvalishvili, the 17-5 Cory Sandhagen returns in a potential title eliminator this weekend at UFC Des Moines.
Coming off a a loss to then undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov, Sandhagen will look to bounce back against former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in five rounds or less.
Sandhagen has fought the top of the heap at 135lbs for years (Petr Yan, TJ Dillashaw, Aljamain Sterling) with Figueiredo his seventh former world champion.
The 5’11” Sandhagen will have a significant reach advantage over the 5’5″ Figueiredo, who’s considered one of the hardest hitters in the lighter weight divisions – a stylistic threat ‘Sandman’ has seen before.
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Cory Sandhagen outpointed John Lineker in David vs. Goliath fight
Swinging hooks, haymakers, bombs in combos – that was John Lineker’s forte during his time in the Octagon.
The 5’3″ Brazilian had a stellar 12-4 record across the UFC flyweight and bantamweight divisions, known for his devastating KO power and ability to close the distance. Lineker has a total of 18 knockouts on his pro record.
Before he was crowned a world champ in ONE Championship, Lineker fought his final UFC bout against the much taller Sandhagen in a David vs. Goliath type fight back in Apr. 2019.
The unranked Sandhagen kept his distance from ‘Hands of Stone’, tagging him with teep kicks to the body and the end of his jab, utilizing his footwork effectively across three rounds of action.
Sandhagen scored two takedowns on the knockout artist, outpointing him in significant strikes 120-106. A tactical performance for Sandhagen, who had just turned 27 years old.
John Lineker almost finished Cory Sandhagen in the final seconds
The heavy-handed Lineker built momentum as the fight went on, landing multiple bombs on Sandhagen’s chin throughout.
Hit with a brutal flying knee by Sandhagen, Lineker kept coming forward, clipping Sandhagen with combos.
With 22 seconds left on the clock, Lineker went to the body and fired a combo upstairs, stinging Sandhagen with two left hands that got the American’s attention.
Sandhagen immediately shot in for a takedown and Lineker smiled as he jumped for a guillotine submission.
Sandhagen looked badly hurt with blood pouring out of his nose as Lineker squeezed with all of his force. In a very bad spot, Sandhagen was elevated just enough to survive the choke as the final bell sounded.
After going the 15-minute distance, Cory Sandhagen was awarded the split decision victory and John Lineker’s #8 bantamweight ranking. A new contender had emerged at 135lbs.
Despite a winning record and exciting fighting style, Lineker was released from the UFC months later after withdrawing from a rematch against Rob Font.