Cory Sandhagen Vows to Eventually Become UFC Champ: ‘The Ship Keeps Sailing’

Cory Sandhagen was all class following his closely-contested loss to Petr Yan in the UFC 267 co-main event.

Though Sandhagen outlanded Yan by a 169-to-149 count in significant strikes, his Russian opponent connected with the more damaging blows over the course of five rounds – including the bout’s only knockdown. Sandhagen did his best work in Round 1, but couldn’t duplicate that effort consistently enough to get the nod from the cageside judges.

In the immediate aftermath, Sandhagen had no issues with the final verdict.

“He’s a hell of a fighter, man,” Sandhagen said in a post-fight interview in the Octagon. “You’re a great fighter. He was better tonight, man. I don’t really have much else to say. I always ask. I always want to fight the best in the world. I know that’s what’s going to make me the best martial artist I can be. I’m grateful I got to do it tonight. I’ll take from it and I’ll learn from it and next time I face him, I’ll get the win.”

After winning seven of his first eight Octagon appearances, a stretch that includes highlight-reel knockouts of Frankie Edgar and Marlon Moraes, the Elevation Fight Team product has dropped back-to-back five-round verdicts against Yan and T.J. Dillashaw. Sandhagen is confident he will eventually become a UFC champion.

“Tough sport. Hell of a fight, Yan. Learn. Get better. The ship keeps sailing,” he wrote on Instagram. “I’m gonna be champ one day.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cory Sandhagen (@enterthesandman135)