UFC star Cory Sandhagen lost his #1 dream fight earlier this year.
The highest ranked UFC Bantam weight so as not to have fought the Merab Dvalishvili champion, this weekend will return to what his ninth five round fight will be in a row.
In the main event of UFC des Moines, Cory Sandhagen will collide with DeVeson Figueiredo, a former two -time flight weight champion.
Few fighters have a CV such as that of Sandhagen, the top candidate who shares the Octagon with people like former champions TJ Dillashaw, Aljamain Sterling, Petr Yan and Frankie Edgar – all against 33 -year -old.
However, one legend is missing in the list, a fight that never took place against one of, if not the largest Bantamweight of all time.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Cory Sandhagen says the UFC tried to match him with Dominick Cruz
In the run-up to UFC des Moines this Saturday, Sandhagen was asked for a fight with Dominick Cruz, the former dual UFC Bantamweight champion who retired in February.
Cruz was planned to fight against Sandhagen's former enemy Rob font in the Co-Main event of UFC Seattle, but an injury forced him from the map and finally retired.
'[UFC] Always a bit [were] Such as: “Hey, we're going to try to do you and Cruz, we're going to try to do you and Cruz …” And yes, it never happened, “said Sandhagen on Media Day on Wednesday.
“It is crazy that it never happened,” Sandhagen added, with detail about how important it was for him.
“It is always one that I really wanted. I mean, I would like to have had that fight.
“I really looked up at Cruz who grew up. Even when I looked at my old fighting, I am damn, I look like Dominick Cruz …
“Since then I have changed a lot, but yes, always looked up at that guy,” Sandhagen said about the future Hall of Famer.
Dominick Cruz has demonstrably the largest footwork in the UFC history
Sandhagen took Sandhagen to Cruz through the ranks of the UFC Bantamweight Division with the help of his footwork and striking skills to get past dangerous knockout artists such as Marlon Moraes and John Lineker in a 'David vs. Goliath 'fight.
Cruz is known worldwide for his footwork and ability to cut corners in the octagon, making him a tough opponent to get a lecture with his unorthodox movement.
In addition, Cruz had some of the best cardios in the UFC and he defeated champions such as Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson, TJ Dillashaw and Urijah Faber (twice) about the championship distance.
Cruz won the WEC title in 2010 and was later promoted to the inaugural Bantam weight champion of the UFC after the most important promotion of WEC.
The story of Dominick Cruz's career was full of injuries, three ACL tears between his two title government that had been separated for two years. In 2016, Cruz took off one of the biggest comeback stories ever when he dethroned Dillashaw to recapture his title after a long way to recovery.
Cruz withdrew from MMA at the age of 39 because of a shoulder injury sustained in his last training camp.