Watching Cory Sandhagen leave Frankie Edgar face-down on the canvas after a thunderbolt-like flying knee at UFC Vegas 18 in 2021 highlighted why he is known as ‘The Sandman’! Currently holding the No. 2 spot in the bantamweight division, Sandhagen has cemented his place as an elite competitor with his incredible performances inside the Octagon.

Known for his unorthodox yet highly effective fighting style, ‘The Sandman’ holds impressive wins over notable names like Marlon Vera, Marlon Moraes, and Song Yadong. With the success, also comes a desire from the fandom to know more about the UFC star’s life outside the cage. So, let’s take a look and learn all we know about Cory Sandhagen’s relationships, kids, and more.

Meet Erica Sandhagen, Cory Sandhagen’s wife: Do they have children?

Cory Sandhagen married his long-time partner, Erica Sandhagen in September 2023. Taking the time away from his usual Instagram posts that feature training videos and other activities that keep a UFC fighter busy, ‘The Sandman’ penned a heartfelt post for Erica to celebrate their wedding.

Cory gushed, “I love all the normal stuff about Erica – her personality, her character, her values, etc. Outside that, it feels like I’ve had her by my side since the beginning of time” and he even shared a heart-warming anecdote from their honeymoon!

According to the post, the pair fell ill during their honeymoon but they made the most of a bad situation by spending the time in bed with another by, “…making each other laugh and annoying one another.”

While they don’t have kids yet, Cory has revealed in past interviews that he previously used to work part-time at a trauma center for children along with his training as an MMA fighter. His journey into combat sports is also interesting as before he became ‘The Sandman’, Cory Sandhagen trained in taekwondo but had to change disciplines because he couldn’t stop himself from throwing punches!

Cory Sandhagen’s Early Life

Born on April 20, 1992, Cory Sandhagen was raised in Aurora Colorada where he attended Smoky Hill High School. He began his martial arts training in taekwondo when he was around 6-7 years old. But, due to a young Sandhagen’s penchant for throwing punches in sparring, he got repeatedly scolded by the instructors before his parents decided that maybe the squared circle was where he was meant to be.

According to a profile on Sandhagen shared by ‘High Altitude MMA’, he enrolled in the gym when he was 17 and was playing basketball on the Smoky Hill High School team at the time. What initially started as a stint in the gym to work on his fitness and balance, led to him finding his way to MMA after being a fan of the sport through watching WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting). ‘The Sandman’ also competed in kickboxing and even secured a WKA (World Kickboxing Association) world title before focusing completely on mixed martial arts.

Since making his UFC debut in 2018, Sandhagen has gone on to compile a record of 10-3 in the promotion. Now, he is set to face off against Umar Nurmagomedov on August 3rd at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Going into this clash against the undefeated Nurmagomedov, fans will be hoping to see what weapon will ‘The Sandman’ pull out from his arsenal to stake his claim as the next contender for the bantamweight title!