Merab Dvalishvili is apparently being given the ability to determine the date, location, and opponent for his enxt fight with the UFC bantamweight championseemingly eyeing a 'Sandman' showdown. This statement was made by the Georgian athlete during a recent conversation with MMA Junkie Radio at UFC X Radio Row where Dvalishvili put his focuses on Cory Sandhagen.
When outlining what his next step looks like amid a run that many are saying has established him as the greatest bantamweight in MMA history, Merab Dvalishvili said,
“Cory Sandhagen told me at the [event], ‘You’re the champ, you tell us when we’re fighting.’ The UFC called me when I was in Georgia and said, ‘Enjoy your country. When you come to Las Vegas, let’s go. Choose who you want to fight, choose where you want to fight.’ I was like, ‘Wow, I guess I have to choose!’ I think Cory Sandhagen is most deserving."
"Peter Yan is another option—he’s a former champ, but he has a fight coming up. So, Cory Sandhagen—maybe New York, Las Vegas, or Abu Dhabi. I always want to fight in New York, but Abu Dhabi is a big one too. I have to choose. Maybe October in Las Vegas, but I want to fight in New York. I’ll ask them—maybe we can do it in New York. Brazil is too close.”
Merab Dvalishvili shows humbleness about pound for pound status
Merab Dvalishvili has collected six wins over former world champions and despite not losing in seven years, he does not see himself occupying that number one pound for pound spot in the UFC's rankings today. In terms of who he does see in that top P4P spot, the 135 pound kingpin shouted out his Georgian compatriot who recently ascended to the status of two division UFC champion.
During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dvalishvili gave the number one pound for pound spot to Ilia Topuria who previously held UFC featherweight gold but recently became the lightweight titleholder with a spectacular knockout of former 155 pound kingpin Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 on June 28th.
Merab Dvalishvili also humbly gave the number two and number three spots in the pound for pound rankings to Islam Makhachev and Alexandre Pantoja, respectively, with the bantamweight titleholder stating he was good with being positioned in then P4P nujmber four spot.
