Merab Dvalishvili Solidifies His Dominance in the UFC Bantamweight Division
Merab Dvalishvili continues his triumphant streak, successfully defending the UFC bantamweight championship with his fourteenth consecutive victory. Dvalishvili dominated Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event of UFC 320 held Saturday night in Las Vegas. Dvalishvili (21-4), defending his belt for the third time, took total control in the second round, taking Sandhagen down with a series of blows and achieving eight takedowns out of 13 attempts. Dvalishvili landed 33 significant strikes in the round, compared to Sandhagen’s two.From that moment on, Sandhagen remained primarily defensive, and although he didn’t wear down like some of Dvalishvili’s previous opponents, he never posed a serious threat to the champion. The judges scored the fight 49-45, 49-45, and 49-46.
The most respected part of Dvalishvili’s game, however, is his wrestling. Over five rounds, he was relentless with his wrestling pressure, attempting 37 takedowns and connecting 20, a UFC record for a title fight and the second-most in any Octagon bout. It was the fifth fight in which Dvalishvili achieved 10 or more takedowns, and he extended his own UFC record for total takedowns, which now stands at 117. Dvalishvili’s winning streak is the fourth longest in UFC history. He hasn’t lost a fight since April 2018.Remember, I said my plan was to knock him out. Almost, almost. Now I think people will respect my striking too.
Merab Dvalishvili
