Sandhagen vs Song: Bantamweight Carnage
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Holy mother of Woodley does this fight slap. With how stacked the bantamweight division is as a whole, it still feels like a bountiful blessing that we get an amazing showdown between two fighters like these.
Cory Sandhagen.
What can I say about this guy that isn’t common knowledge?
In a division where plenty of personality and violence personifies itself, Cory still finds a way to keep his name lingering in the conversation.
Early fight fans might know Sandhagen by an amazing war he fought against current ONE bantamweight champion John Lineker.
Others, however, might know him from his brutal knockout over Frankie Edgar.
No matter how you discovered the Sandman, only one thing comes to mind. This guy is a monster.
That isn’t to say his career hasn’t had its downs as well. Though he was able to momentarily bounce back from a quick loss to the current UFC bantamweight champion, he found himself on another skid when he was matched up with former champions, TJ Dillashaw and Petr Yan.
However, considering the skill that Yan has shown in the octagon, it is not necessarily a bad thing for the contender.
It was either that or wait.
Cory Sandhagen when asked if he was fine fighting someone further down in the rankings, MMA News, Sept 8 2022.
With a win over a promising prospect, things will surely look better for Cory as he fights to bounce back to a title shot.
Song Yadong.
Many fans will likely remember him for his controversial fight against Marlon “Chito” Vera. However, there is definitely more to this twenty-four year old prospect.
Heavy-handed. Athletic. These are just a couple of words his current opponent has used to describe him, and he is not sugarcoating it at all.
After a loss to another promising prospect, Kyler Phillips, the Kung Fu Monkey managed to accrue three wins on his belt, including two amazing finishes.
This Saturday, he hopes to also add a top five win and a higher ranking to his list of accomplishments in the octagon.
So that begs the question: how does this match look on paper?
Well, it is easy for even the common fan to see that this will be a brutal striking match.
Sandhagen is a lengthy fighter who loves to use his height and reach advantage to set up his jabs and kicks. He doesn’t often overextend his punches, and he switches stances often— though most of his boxing will come from the orthodox stance.
He also does a great job at throwing the hook off his jab, as well as landing a one-two. His hand fighting and feint work is also very much underrated. Though he doesn’t throw them as often as I’d like, he also has a beautiful left hand liver shot.
Overall, Sandhagen has a great mastery over both his distance management, and his timing. Need a demonstration? Watch the Frankie Edgar finish again.
Song, in comparison, is at a disadvantage. However, what he lacks in length, he makes up for in speed, power, and footwork— not that Sandhagen’s isn’t great as well.
He’s a very solid counterpuncher, being able to implement his head movement to slip an oncoming shot and land a much cleaner one. He’s capable of fighting off the back foot, leading you into power shots, but he’s also able to move in and out as he needs. He’s also very capable of pressure fighting.
His boxing is solid; he throws great straights and hooks. On top of this, his kicks are wicked fast and sharp. Especially his body kicks.
If Cory had a weakness, it would probably be his style. He is a very finish-oriented type of striker, meaning on top of throwing leather, he’ll look to implement plenty of flashy kicks and knees hoping to end the fight. This is great if they can land flush, however they lean lead to the risk of being forced into grappling exchanges or even counters if timed right.
If Song had a weakness, it would possibly be fatigue. As the younger guy in a dog fight, it might not be as easy to keep up with the pace. Against somebody like Cory, who has good cardio and throws plenty of volume, throwing wide and losing composure as he before,will cause him to pay dearly, not only from the adrenaline dump, but also the heavy shots that will be fired back.
This fight is bound to be amazing. However, Cory has the experience, the tools, and the chin to withstand Song’s blows and persevere.
SAFE BET: CORY SANDHAGEN
PUT MORE ADS ON THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!