UFC Fight Night: Vera vs. Sandhagen Live
On March 25, 2023, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) held its Fight Night event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event of the night was a bantamweight clash between Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen. The matchup was highly anticipated, with both fighters being ranked in the top 10 of the UFC's bantamweight division.
Marlon Vera, also known as "Chito," was coming off a win over Davey Grant in June 2021. Vera has a professional record of 19-7-1 and had won six of his last eight fights. He is known for his aggressive fighting style and well-rounded skills, with 8 of his 19 victories coming by way of submission.
Cory Sandhagen, on the other hand, was looking to bounce back from a loss to former bantamweight champion, T.J. Dillashaw, in July 2021. Sandhagen has a professional record of 14-3 and is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the bantamweight division. He is known for his unorthodox striking and has won 7 of his 14 fights by knockout.
The fight began with both fighters sizing each other up in the center of the octagon. Sandhagen was using his reach advantage to keep Vera at bay, but Vera was able to land some leg kicks early on. Sandhagen was looking to counter with his striking, but Vera was able to close the distance and land a hard right hand.
As the round progressed, Sandhagen began to find his rhythm and landed a beautiful spinning back kick to Vera's midsection. Vera was able to absorb the strike, but Sandhagen was starting to take control of the fight. He continued to land strikes from the outside, while Vera was looking to get inside and land some shots of his own.
In the second round, Sandhagen picked up where he left off, landing a series of leg kicks and jabs. Vera was trying to close the distance, but Sandhagen's footwork was making it difficult for him to get in close. Sandhagen then landed a flying knee that stunned Vera and followed it up with a series of strikes that sent Vera to the canvas. Sandhagen swarmed Vera with ground and pound, and the referee was forced to step in and stop the fight.
The victory was a big one for Sandhagen, who was looking to get back into title contention after his loss to Dillashaw. He showed off his impressive striking and footwork, as well as his ability to finish fights. Sandhagen has now won 5 of his last 7 fights, with his only losses coming to Dillashaw and current bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling.
For Vera, the loss was a setback, but he has proven time and time again that he is a tough competitor in the bantamweight division. He will likely look to bounce back with a win in his next fight and continue his climb up the rankings.
In the co-main event of the night, lightweight contender Dan Hooker took on Nasrat Haqparast. Hooker was looking to rebound after his loss to Michael Chandler earlier in the year, while Haqparast was looking to build on his three-fight win streak.
The fight started off with both fighters throwing heavy strikes, with Haqparast landing some solid leg kicks. Hooker was able to weather the storm and started to find his range with his punches. He landed a big left hook that stunned Haqparast and followed it up with a barrage of strikes that sent Haqparast to the canvas. Hooker swarmed Haqpar
