Cory Sandhagen dominates Rob Font at UFC on ESPN 50

Cory Sandhagen Octagon Interview | UFC Nashville

Cory Sandhagen defeated Rob Font with unanimous 50-45 scorecards in the UFC on ESPN 50 main event at Bridgestone Arena.

The Nashville crowd booed Sandhagen’s wrestling-forward style in the latter part of the fight. Despite his willingness to engage in a more exciting fight, the 31-year-old attributed his approach to a tricep injury from the first round.

Additionally, social media reports indicated that UFC President Dana White left his seat in the middle of the fight and never returned.

Sandhagen started with a successful takedown and defended against Font’s submission attempts. He dominated Font on the ground in the second and third rounds, as fans voiced their disappointment.

During the break, Font’s head coach, Tyson Chartier, encouraged him to improve his performance in the last two rounds to win the fight.

Sandhagen secured another takedown in the fourth round, adding to Font’s frustration. Despite briefly facing a D’Arce choke in the fifth round, Sandhagen’s dominance was clear when Bruce Buffer announced his scorecard sweep.

After experiencing a two-fight losing streak with decision losses to T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan, Sandhagen has now bounced back with three consecutive wins.

Sandhagen aiming for title shot

After the fight, Sandhagen expressed his desire for a title shot against the winner of the upcoming championship bout between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley, who will be fighting in two weeks in Boston.

“I like that match, too,” he said. “I know the fans would be really excited about that. O’Malley is a hell of an athlete, and I’m excited about that fight, too. I think that that’s one that the fans really, really want to see, so I think it’s a win-win for me.”

Sterling was in the audience at Saturday’s event. He pointed out Font’s lack of wrestling skills, emphasizing that “there’s levels to this.”

Sandhagen also said the win played out as he had intended. He wants to send a message to future opponents that if they avoid stand-up fighting to beat him, he will be the one that dominates the ground fight.

Font was supposed to fight Song Yadong at UFC 292, but when Yadong got injured, Font agreed to fight Sandhagen on short notice. Sandhagen’s original opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov, also withdrew due to an injury.