Tim Welch, coach of UFC flyweight champion Sean O'Malley, praised Umar Nurmagomedov's performance in his bout with Corey Sandhagen at UFC on ABC 7.
"It was the first time Umar fought a top-10 opponent. And he got the monster Sandhagen right away. Corey is an expert in striking and wrestling. But I was surprised at how well timed Umar was with his movement as the fight went on. He was throwing his takedowns at the right time!
In the beginning, Corey had a great defense against the kickdowns. When someone defends against your punches and kickdowns like that, it can break you psychologically. But Umar kept the momentum, stayed sharp and disciplined for all five rounds. And in the end, he was able to beat Corey. It's a big win for Nurmagomedov. Umar surprised me, showed me how skillful a fighter he is," said Welch in an interview with Submission Radio.
Recall that Nurmagomedov defeated Sandhagen by unanimous decision of the judges.
