Is Khabib Cornering Cousin Umar Nurmagomedov Against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi?

The bantamweight division is poised for a highly anticipated showdown between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC on ABC 7 on August 3rd! Set to take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, the bout will determine who gets to challenge for the bantamweight title next. Nurmagomedov is currently ranked no. 10 in the division and faces his toughest test so far against the no.2 ranked Cory Sandhagen.

The Dagestani fighter is undefeated in the UFC, and a win over ‘The Sandman’ will catapult him to the top 5 of the division. With such a crucial matchup ahead, the MMA sphere is curious to know if Khabib Nurmagomedov will be making an appearance to corner his cousin for the fight. Let’s find out!

‘The Eagle’ will be landing in Abu Dhabi to corner Umar Nurmagomedov  

Once he stepped away from competition in 2020, ‘The Eagle’ quickly made the transition to a coach. He initially handled the corner and training duties for other Dagestani fighters and teammates like Islam Makhachev. But in January 2023, Khabib Nurmagomedov announced that he would be completely stepping away from his coaching and cornering responsibilities to focus on his family.

Almost a year later, ‘The Eagle’ decided to return for Makhachev’s third title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. Now, in a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Umar Nurmagomedov has revealed that ‘The Eagle’ will be gracing the UFC with his presence once more to corner his cousin!

In the same interview, Umar also stated that the UFC has confirmed that a win against Sandhagen could lead him to a title shot against the winner of Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili’s bantamweight title fight at ‘Noche UFC’ in September.

The Dagestani bantamweight stated, “Yes, (they told me I will be next).” Umar has also been targeted by Sean O’Malley as the bantamweight champion recently claimed that he would pull out of the fight against Sandhagen. A supremely confident Umar responded by stating, “They hope I will pull out and will not take this opportunity to fight for the title. They wish this.”

However, while he has enlisted the support of ‘The Eagle’ for this clash, Cory Sandhagen isn’t one to be outdone easily as his corner for this fight will include one of the most recognizable coaches in the UFC. Here’s a hint: he also trains Justin Gaethje!

Sandhagen joins forces with renowned MMA coach for clash against ‘The Eagle’s cousin 

‘The Sandman’ is a fan favorite for his striking techniques and vast arsenal inside the Octagon. While his previous challenge for the interim bantamweight title against Petr Yan in 2021 didn’t go as planned, this time, with a shot at the undisputed title on the line, Sandhagen has added Trevor Wittman to his team!

In an interview with MMA Junkie, ‘The Sandman’ revealed, “I’ve been with Trevor for about four months now. Working with Trevor has been great, he’s super impressive, he really knows how to work with the athletes on the technical strategic side of things, I haven’t met anyone better, honestly”

Wittman, known for coaching former champions, Kamaru Usman and Rose Namajunas in the past, brings a wealth of experience to Sandhagen’s camp. The big question is, will this new partnership help Sandhagen overcome the undefeated Dagestani phenom, Umar Nurmagomedov? And will Khabib Nurmagomedov’s presence in Umar’s corner tip the scales in his favor? Share your thoughts in the comments below!