Merab Dvalishvili welcomed the opportunity to defend the title against perennial contender Cory Sandhagen, beyond Sean O’Malley Tonight’s stellar victory, following another dominant victory at UFC 316.
Dvalishvili, who rematched former champion O’Malley, will defend his second division crown tonight, following a Noche UFC showdown last September.
In January, Dvalishvili returned tonight, seeking a decisive victory over O’Malley, fresh from the dominant unanimous decision that previously won over the invincible Umar Nurmagomedov.
And it’s exactly Georgia star Dvalishvili landed five takedowns throughout three rounds against the next title challenger.
Dvalishvili, the Tbilisi cardio machine who first submitted O’Malley in the process, ultimately rounded out a dark choke victory over the Montana striker, forcing the final tap to maintain his bantamweight advantage.
Merab Dvalishvili welcomes Cory Sandhagen Challenge after UFC 316
And tonight’s SAT Octagon Side was former interim champion Cory Sandhagen, who is fresh from his victory at former flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueriedo.
“I love it (the fight against Cory Sandhagen),” Merab Dvalishvili told Joe Rogan in a postwar interview after UFC 316.
Sandhagen, who was challenging interim bantamweight loot in 2021, did not fall into the ultimate unanimous decision loss against unconventional title holder Petr Yang in his short-lived showdown in the Middle East.
