Cory Sandhagen pushed back at Marlon Vera for saying he was trying to avoid a fight

“Cory’s been calling me out, and then they offer for us to fight Nov. 5, because something happened in that main event,” Vera said.

“He didn’t accept the fight. So why you f*cking call me out, Cory Sandhagen? Then you don’t have time to make weight or get ready. Don’t call another man out and then don’t be able to dance.”

Sandhagen, who has a record of 15-4 in mixed martial arts and 8-3 in the UFC, didn’t deny that he had turned down the fight. However, the former interim title challenger was just in action a little over a month ago, when he forced doctors to stop his headliner against Song Yadong in Round 4, and he won the fight by technical knockout.

“We got Chito, who’s trying to make me sound like I’m the guy that’s afraid to fight him,” Sandhagen said on social media.

“The UFC offered me that fight on three weeks’ notice after it was about a month after I had fought Yadong. Chito, you called out guys in the top five and then fought down in the rankings and fought Cruz.

“Do I blame you for doing that? Of course I don’t. It’s the draw. But don’t try to make it sound like I’m afraid of you, bro. You can get me after a full camp, and I’d be glad to whoop your ass sometime around February.”

Sandhagen believes that Sean O’Malley should be the next opponent for bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, who successfully defended his title by finishing T.J. Dillashaw on the same night at UFC 280. O’Malley’s victory over Petr Yan came via a controversial split decision this past Saturday at UFC 280.

“I think with the division, you gotta give O’Malley the title shot,” Sandhagen said.

“Hopefully it pays Sterling pretty good. I hope that they do me and Chito for the No. 1 contender spot.”