Fighting is a tough job. While you sacrifice your body according to the requirements of the job, it’s uncertain that you earn enough to make ends meet. Most fighters turn to normal jobs and businesses to earn money on the side, but without a full focus on their careers, they’re forced to make a sacrifice. But in the modern world, we have modern solutions. This one, although, belongs in the R-rated section. But who are we talking about? It is Cory Sandhagen.

The fan favorite bantamweight recently took a detour from his MMA career and spent two months on the R-rated website ‘OnlyFans’. Known for his dynamic striking and grit, ‘Sandman’ recently took a humorous detour by claiming a staggering $2 million earnings from his OnlyFans account over two months.

He had mentioned the earnings before his fight against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Des Moines on May 3. Sandhagen released a satirical video on his YouTube channel, and in the skit, he humorously alleged that Figueiredo, under the pseudonym “Godofhorrors69,” was his top OnlyFans subscriber. Sandhagen jested: “So I gotta take time out of my day, almost every day to, you know, do my OnlyFans. Everyone wants to kind of sht on me for having them as a sponsor or whatever, but joke’s on you, I made $2 million last month. Mostly from this guy. I don’t really know who he is. His tagger name is ‘Godofhorrors69’. I’m pretty sure it’s Figgy [Figueiredo]. Everything he writes me is in broken English…He makes me do all kinds of crazy sht for him, like sing stupid karaoke songs.”

After finishing Figueiredo with a TKO in the second round in their clash, Sandhagen found himself with all the attention, but not for the fight. Fans and veterans alike are responding hilariously to the news. Recently, when Sandhagen sat down with former UFC contender Mike Perry, even he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. In the video posted on both their Instagrams, Sandhagen, characteristically, is calm, while Perry is losing his mind on the news.

What did Sandhagen say to get Perry there? Well, ‘Sandman’ revealed, “It was literally just my ba–. That was it. It was just a bunch of pictures of my ba-. I would take my d- out of it and just take pictures of my ba–.” Leaving Perry in laughter, this is how Cory explained his journey on OnlyFans.

Now, let’s head back to the fight game and look at what’s next for Cory. After his loss to Umar Nurmagomedov, a quick turn to a title shot seemed unlikely, but his stellar performance against Figueiredo has brought him back to contention.

Cory Sandhagen eyes title contention after UFC Des Moines victory

Cory Sandhagen has earned a place in hearts through his rigid mentality and show of mental strength inside the Octagon. Put him in a fight against anyone and in either win or loss, the ‘Sandman’ makes you respect him for his performance. So what’s next for him after beating a formidable opponent in Figuerido?

Following his victory in Des Moines, Sandhagen emphasized the significance of the bout, noting that a strong performance could position him for a title shot. He said, “I think this year is going to be a really good year for me. Hopefully, I’ll get in three fights and one of them will be a championship fight.” Now, where does he stand in the bantamweight division? We can only get a clearer picture of it after the UFC 316 main event. 

With Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley set for a rematch at UFC 316, Sandhagen highlighted his unique position in the division, stating, “Whether O’Malley or Merab wins, I’m the only guy in the top five that hasn’t fought Merab. Then O’Malley is someone people have been begging to have me and him fight for a really long time.” Indeed, ‘Sandman’ makes a great case for his title contention; he hasn’t lost to either the champion or the challenger and has been a persistent challenge throughout the years in the UFC, who might make it all the way. 

Ranked #4th in the bantamweight division, he also talked about a potential rematch with #2 Petr Yan. While remembering his last fight with Yan and his recent performances, Sandhagen remarked, “Congrats to Yan, maybe we’ll do it next. I still want to get that one back.” If this bout happens, then a title shot is surely on the track for Sandhagen. The question is, can he capitalize?

Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen’s first fight was for the interim-bantamweight championship, where Sandhagen came short against Yan after a thrilling encounter between the two. His next fight can be a title eliminator. Sandhagen knows the stakes, he has been here before, and he’s much better than he was the last time. Will the bantamweight underdog finally shine in the light of UFC glory? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.