Despite a hearty effort from Cory Sandhagen, Merab Dvalishvili put on a masterclass showing in the Octagon, scoring a unanimous decision win to retain the UFC bantamweight championship in the co-main event of UFC 320.
The opening round saw plenty of exchanges, with Sandhagen seemingly getting the better of Dvalishvili in terms of the more effective strikes. Even as Dvalishvili came forward, Sandhagen mixed things up well and showed strong defense against a couple of Dvalishvili's takedown attempts.
Dvalishvili, however, came back with relentless pressure and a strong offense. After Sandhagen made his way back up off a takedown, Dvalishvili delivered a flurry of strikes near the fence, nearly putting Sandhagen out with a knee and a barrage of punches. Dvalishvili's dominance was on full display in the second round, having taken Sandhagen down nine times by the end of the round -- this made Dvalishvili the first fighter in UFC history to score 100+ takedowns in their UFC career.
Dvalishvili continued to control the action in a quiet third round, making use of his grappling pressure once again. Sandhagen looked to find his range in the fourth round, but Dvalishvili threatened a late D'Arce choke before the horn. That fourth round also saw Dvalishvili's 14th takedown in the fight, setting a new personal best.
Dvalishvili's grappling was again on full display in the fifth round, scoring 20 takedowns by the fight's end -- setting a new UFC record for most takedowns in a UFC title fight. Sandhagen landed a strong punch in the closing seconds but was unable to follow up on the damage.
All three judges scored the bout for Dvalishvili, with two 49-45s and a 49-46.
Merab Dvalishvili Retains UFC Bantamweight Title Over Cory Sandhagen At UFC 320
Dvalishvili claimed the UFC bantamweight title with a win over Sean O'Malley at Noche UFC 2: UFC 306 in September 2024. He had since retained the title against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January and in a rematch with O'Malley at UFC 316 in June.
Sandhagen, who entered tonight with four wins in his last five, earned the title shot off a finish of Deiveson Figueriedo at UFC Des Moines in May.