Merab Dvalishvili is here to stay in bantamweight and rule his division.
"The Machine" retained his bantamweight crown with a dominant unanimous decision over Cory Sandhagen in the UFC 320 co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dvalishvili showcased his relentless style against Sandhagen, combining precise striking with 20 takedowns to control the fight from start to finish. In the second round, he came dangerously close to ending the bout with a heavy flurry, but Sandhagen managed to survive.
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The judges handed the 34-year-old Georgian a convincing unanimous decision, scoring it 49-45, 49-45, 49-46, securing his third consecutive successful defense of the UFC bantamweight title this year.
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With this victory, "The Machine" has extended his unbeaten run to 14 fights, a streak filled with wins over top contenders and former champions, leaving the 135-pound division seemingly without any new challengers in sight.
Merab Dvalishvili Confirms No Featherweight Move Planned After UFC 320 Victory
During the UFC 320 post-fight press conference, Merab Dvalishvili was asked whether he would consider moving up to challenge reigning UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in a potential champ vs. champ bout, given the lack of fresh challengers in the bantamweight division.
This is my division,” Dvalishvili said. "I’m comfortable here. I don’t want to try and go up and make a mess because I don’t want to be without an invite. Like if somebody shows up at [Aljamain Sterling’s] wedding tomorrow, I would crush his face in, we would be mad. … I’m comfortable here. I want to be my division’s champion.
“The Machine” made it clear that he has no desire to move up to 145 pounds, citing his deep respect for Volkanovski and his close friend Aljamain Sterling.
I have respect for all these guys, especially my brother Aljamain Sterling, Volkanovski, I don’t want to fight these guys. I’m good here. I don’t know, we’ll see. So far, I have next plan to fight Petr Yan.
Dvalishvili now boasts a 14-2 record in the UFC, with his last defeat dating all the way back to April 2018, when he was caught in a third-round submission by Ricky Simon at UFC Atlantic City.
