Cory Sandhagen once again came up short in his bid to claim UFC gold.
Sandhagen stepped into the Octagon to challenge reigning bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in the co-main event of UFC 320 this past Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Although "Sandman" came out strong and seemed to have an answer for almost every move Dvalishvili threw at him, whether standing or on the ground, the defending titleholder's signature relentless pressure began to take its toll as the fight progressed.
Sandhagen came dangerously close to being finished in the second round when "The Machine" unleashed punishing him with heavy punches, but the challenger somehow weathered the storm. The 33-year-old Colorado native found occasional success with his striking, yet his rhythm was repeatedly disrupted by Dvalishvili’s perfectly timed takedowns. Ultimately, the judges handed a decisive victory to the Georgian, scoring the bout 49-45, 49-45, 49-46
Cory Sandhagen Pays Respect To Merab Dvalishvili Following UFC 320 Loss
After his challenging defeat to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 320, Cory Sandhagen took to social media on Sunday to share his thoughts. "Sandman" began by showing respect to the reigning UFC bantamweight champion for delivering such a tough battle.
"Congrats to the champ - you’re a hell of a fighter and a great champion of the division. I’m proud to have fought you. I’ll get you next time!!"
He went on to say that he’s staying positive and is determined to come back even stronger in his next outing.
"To all my fans, nothing changes for me. It’s all hard work till the day I hang it up. We’ll still get to gold - even though the water is murky right now.
"I’ll always have an unbreakable spirit until the day I die. I love this sh*t.
"Love you guys. Peace," Cory Sandhagen
With this loss, 4-4 in his last eight fights, which also includes unanimous decision loss to fomer champion Petr Yan for the interim bantamweight title at UFC 267 in October 2021. He now sits at 11-5 record in the UFC, with seven of his victories coming via stoppage.
