UFC: Cory Sandhagen lands a brutal flying knee on Frankie Edgar – and surely lands himself a title shot
- American bantamweight needs just 28 seconds to lay down his credentials, and to lay out his opponent
- ‘Fight me,’ Sandhagen says to champ Petr Yan. “I’m a different monster. I’m the toughest guy’
Cory Sandhagen had warned us he was on the brink of something special. But no one expected a flying knee, with just 28 seconds gone on the clock. Least of all Frankie Edgar.
A stunning Sandhagen (14-2) knockout of the veteran Edgar (23-9-1) on Sunday placed the 28-year-old American first – and foremost – in the queue for a crack at the bantamweight belt, and lit up the UFC Vegas 18 card.
“I guess I didn’t need them,” Sandhagen said afterwards, when Daniel Cormier asked post-fight about the “tricks” the fighter had promised to showcase on Sunday.
“I was excited to show off my wrestling skills as everyone knows that I suck at that – but I’ll take that [win].”
It was the second-fastest flying knee in UFC history, behind that welterweight Jorge Masvidal cracker that landed on the chin of Ben Askren at UFC 239 in July, 2019. And it was the second straight highlight reel move in a row for Sandhagen, following his spinning heel kick finish of Brazil’s former title contender Marlon Moraes (23-8-1) last October.
Sandhagen came in ranked second in the bantamweight division and both fighters had talked up the bout as a title shot eliminator throughout the week.