Cory backs himself against Mario Bautista: 'I'm more technical, more skilled'
Cory Sandhagen Excerpts This is a rematch with Mario after seven years. How different is he now compared to the debutant you faced in 2019?
Cory Sandhagen Excerpts This is a rematch with Mario after seven years. How different is he now compared to the debutant you faced in 2019? Mario says he's hunting for the finish and sees this as a wrestling mismatch. How do you react to that kind of public assessment of the fight? What do you see as Mario's single biggest strength, and how do you plan to neutralize it? You've had spectacular finishes against guys like Edgar and Moraes, as well as tactical wins over opponents like Font. How do you decide, fight by fight, whether to go for fireworks or settle for a controlled win? Cory Sandhagen against Merab Dvalishvili (AP Photo) After UFC 320 [Merab Dvalishvili], you said the fight was absolutely winnable. What specifically went wrong, and how have you addressed it in preparation for Mario? You've been one of the top bantamweights for years. How much of this fight is about proving to yourself that you can still handle the new wave of fighters like Mario, not just the older contenders? Mario Bautista (Special Arrangements) Finally, if you win this fight, what do you think the UFC should book next? O'Malley, Merab again, or someone else? Cory Sandhagen has spent years hovering around the UFC bantamweight title picture without quite breaking through.
He's challenged for championship gold twice, fallen short both times, and now finds himself back in familiar territory - needing another statement win in one of the promotion's deepest divisions.His assignment at International Fight Week is a familiar face. Seven years after submitting Mario Bautista in Bautista's third UFC appearance, Sandhagen meets him again in a fight that carries far greater consequences than their first meeting ever did.The matchup comes with contrasting narratives. Bautista has framed it as a wrestling advantage and vowed to chase a finish. Sandhagen isn't buying that assessment.In an exclusive conversation with Timesofindia.com, Sandhagen discusses how Bautista has evolved since their first meeting, why he dismisses the wrestling narrative, the lessons from his latest title defeat, and why he believes a showdown with Sean O'Malley makes the most sense if he gets past Bautista.I think he's a much better fighter now. I think we both are. He's come a long way, and I think it's going to be a challenging fight.I think Mario has shown almost no great offensive wrestling that I've seen. He got out-grappled by Umar by a much bigger margin. He was held down, whereas I got taken down a bunch of times but got back up right away every time.
The BriefWire