UFC head Dana White announced that the fight between Russian Umar Nurmagomedov and American Cory Sandhagen, which will take place on August 3 at the UFC on ABC 7 event in Abu Dhabi (UAE), has received challenger status.
Nurmagomedov last fought against Bekzat Almakhan in March of this year at UFC Vegas 87. Umar won that fight by unanimous decision. He has 17 wins and no losses on his record.
Sandhagen last stepped into the octagon against Rob Font in August 2023 at UFC on ESPN 50. That fight went the full distance and ended in Cory's favor by unanimous decision. He has 17 wins and four losses on his record.