Cory Sandhagen (born April 20, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2015, Sandhagen has also competed for Legacy Fighting Alliance. As of May 9, 2023, he is #4 in the UFC bantamweight rankings.
Background
Born and raised in Aurora, Colorado, Sandhagen attended Smoky Hill High School where he was on the basketball team – a sport he had been playing from his youth. Eventually he grew interest in combat sports, first picking up kickboxing in which he won multiple WKA titles. After winning a WKA world title, Sandhagen began transitioning to mixed martial arts.
Sandhagen attended University of Colorado Boulder, from where he graduated with a degree in psychology.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Sandhagen made his Legacy Fighting Alliance debut on February 24, 2017, at LFA 5 against Jamall Emmers, losing the bout via unanimous decision. His next fight was on October 17, 2017, against Luiz Antonio Lobo Gavinho at LFA 24, which he won via first round TKO. Sandhagen's final appearance for Legacy Fighting Alliance came on January 19, 2018, at LFA 31, defeating Jose Aguayo via first round TKO.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
2018
Sandhagen made his promotional debut at UFC on Fox: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2 on January 27, 2018, against Austin Arnett. He won the fight via second-round TKO.
His next bout was at UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick on August 25, 2018 Iuri Alcantara. After a back-and-forth affair, he won the fight via second-round TKO. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.
2019
Sandhagen was scheduled to face Thomas Almeida at UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw. However, it was later announced that Sandhagen would face John Lineker at the event instead. On January 10, Lineker was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a rib injury. He was replaced by promotional newcomer Mario Bautista. He won the bout via first round submission.
The bout with Lineker was rescheduled and eventually took place on April 27, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson. Sandhagen won the fight via split decision.
Sandhagen faced Raphael Assunção on August 17, 2019, at UFC 241. He won the bout by unanimous decision.
2020
Sandhagen was scheduled to face Frankie Edgar in a bantamweight bout on January 25, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 166. However, Edgar was removed from the fight in favor of a bout against Chan Sung Jung a month earlier at UFC Fight Night 165. In turn, Sandhagen was removed from the card.
Sandhagen faced Aljamain Sterling on June 6, 2020, at UFC 250 in a bout that UFC president Dana White confirmed to be a bantamweight title eliminator. He lost the bout via submission in the first round.
Sandhagen faced Marlon Moraes on October 11, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 179 in the main event. Sandhagen won the fight via technical knockout in round two. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.
2021
Sandhagen faced Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 184 on February 6, 2021. He won the fight via knockout by flying knee in the first round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.
Sandhagen was scheduled to face T.J. Dillashaw on May 8, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 24. However, Dillashaw announced on April 27 that he had to pull out of the fight due to a cut he received from a headbutt in training. The pairing remained intact and was rescheduled to headline UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw on July 24, 2021. He lost a close fight via split decision. 17 out of 23 media outlets scored the bout as a win for Sandhagen.
Sandhagen faced Petr Yan for the Interim UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 267 on October 30, 2021. Sandhagen served as a late replacement for Aljamain Sterling, who was forced to withdraw from the bout with Yan due to a neck injury. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. This bout earned the Fight of the Night award.
2022
Sandhagen faced Song Yadong on September 17, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 210. He won the fight via technical knockout after the doctor stopped the fight due to a cut.
2023
Sandhagen was scheduled to face Marlon Vera on February 18, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 219. However, the bout was rebooked for UFC on ESPN 43 on March 25. Sandhagen won the fight via split decision. Though one judge scored the bout for Vera, 24 out of 24 media outlets scored the bout for Sandhagen.