American UFC fighter Cory Sandhagen is set to face Umar Nurmagomedov and intends to apologize to Khabib Nurmagomedov, who will be in his cousin's corner during the fight.
Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov will meet in the main event of UFC on ABC 7, scheduled for August 3 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Sandhagen said in an interview with Daniel Cormier:
I’m gonna prove that I’m better than [Umar]. On Saturday, I plan on shaking Khabib’s hand, I plan on shaking Umar’s hand and apologizing and saying, 'I'm sorry that I had to beat you.'
Umar Nurmagomedov last fought against Bekzat Almakhan in March this year at UFC Vegas 87, where he won by unanimous decision. His record stands at 17 victories with no losses.
Sandhagen's last appearance in the octagon was against Rob Font in August 2023 at UFC on ESPN 50. The match went the full distance and ended in Sandhagen's favor by unanimous decision, bringing his record to 17 wins and four losses.