Cory Sandhagen Cruises to Victory Over Marlon Vera at UFC Fight Night

• Cory Sandhagen put on a show as he outclassed Marlon Vera in the main event of UFC Fight Night
• The Sandman dominated the bout from start to finish, but one judge still scored Vera as the winner
• Sandhagen proved difficult to hit as he constantly switched stances and stayed out of Vera's range

The UFC’s Bantamweight is stacked with talented fighters, and two of the division’s top athletes showcased that at UFC Fight Night.

Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera and Cory ‘The Sandman’ Sandhagen fought in the main event, with both fighters hoping to make a big statement as they chase Aljamain Sterling for the gold.

While the opening minutes of the first round started cagey, Sandhagen took control as he took Chito down to the ground.

Vera managed to land shots from the bottom, but Sandhagen soon took control and dominated the rest of the round, firing shots at his grounded opponent.

Arteta reveals Martinelli's conversation before Palace game

Football

Round 2

Sandhagen, ranked fifth in the division, had ground control again in the second round, dominating the third-ranked Vera. Chito’s coaches were once again not impressed with their fighter’s output in round two and wanted more.

Round 3

Buoyed by his domination in the first two rounds, Sandhagen pressed forward in the third. While Vera was able to avoid being taken down in the third, he still got tagged a few times by Sandhagen’s strikes. Vera found his range a bit more in the third and landed some good shots of his own.

Round 4

Sandhagen proved very difficult to hit as he kept switching his stances and left Vera guessing.

Chito landed a few shots, but nothing really threatened The Sandman, who looked comfortable as ever. Sandhagen attempted another takedown, but when that failed, he went back to sticking with staying out of range and using his reach to his advantage.

Roy Keane bemoans worrying factor despite Man Utd FA Cup win over Fulham

Football

Round 5

Vera needed to come out swinging in the fifth and final round as many felt he was down on the judges’ scorecards. Despite his best efforts in the opening minute, it was Sandhagen who took the fight to the ground once again. Vera managed to get back to his feet with two and a half minutes to go, but Sandhagen’s movement and switching of stances made him very hard to hit.

Vera put his foot on the pedal in the last minute, as he tried to find a finish, but it was too little, too late. The fight went to the judges’ scorecards and despite The Sandman’s dominance throughout the fight, not all the judges agreed on the decision.

One judge scored the fight in favour of Vera, while the other two gave the nod to Sandhagen.

Who is the best UFC Bantamweight?

The UFC's Bantamweight division is properly stacked, and over the years, legendary athletes have battled for glory within the 126-135 pounds (57.2-61.2 kg) weight class.

U23 AFCON Qualifier: Olympic Eagles coach Salisu Yusuf reacts as Nigeria fail to defeat Guinea in Abuja

Football

Some of the best bantamweight fighters in the world in the male category include Suga Sean O'Malley, Petr 'No Mercy' Yan, Cory "The Sandman" Sandhagen and Merab 'The machine' Dvalishvili.

Sports Brief looks at the best Bantamweights in the business and who is chasing down Amanda Nunes and Aljamain Sterling for the gold.