Cory Sandhagen is finally getting his title shot. After years in the contention conversation, he’ll be taking on Petr Yan for the interim bantamweight title at UFC 267. But if you ask Cory himself, the “real” belt is on the line. Why?
Petr Yan is the real champ. Or so he told The MMA Hour. “I think everyone sees Yan as the champ of the division, the best in the division. I think in this case it will [count as a real championship].
Sandhagen Believes Petr Yan is the “Real Champ” of Bantamweight Division, Says Real Title is on the Line
I think it will mean a lot. Because it never feels real until it actually is real, and now that I’m fighting for a UFC belt, even though it’s an interim one, it would feel like I was the champ.
It would feel that way. I would definitely know that I have some quieting of the voices maybe about the Sterling loss that I had and the T.J. Dillashaw loss that I had, but those will be very exciting rematches in the division also.
I think I’m excited. It would feel like I was the champ if I do win against Yan.” Sandhagen might have only just accepted the Yan fight, giving him a mere four weeks to prepare for one of the scariest men in the division, but he anticipated this turn of events long ago. In fact, he’s prepared for it.
“I said absolutely I would be that guy, because I was kind of planning on it anyways. It turned out that I became that guy.
I didn’t want that opportunity to pass if that was going to be the case. I sat long and hard with it because I was feeling like I needed a little bit of a rest after the last one.
That was kind of a tough one to take a little bit, so I kind of wanted to rest my mind a little bit. I got to thinking as the fight got closer, like eight or nine weeks away, I was like, ‘I’m just going to train hard for this one.’
Because if something does go wrong and they ask me to do it, I don’t want to be caught with my pants down. I don’t really want to be the guy that says no because he can’t make weight or miss out on a huge opportunity like that. I have been planning on getting ready for this for about eight or nine weeks now.”
Do you agree that Petr Yan, despite his lack of a belt right now, is the real bantamweight champ? Let us know in the comments.
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