Merab Dvalishvili Solidifies His Dominance in the UFC Bantamweight Division
Merab Dvalishvili continues his winning streak, successfully defending the UFC bantamweight championship with his fourteenth consecutive victory. Dvalishvili demonstrated his superiority over Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event of UFC 320 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 punches and achieving eight takedowns out of 13 attempts. In that round, Dvalishvili landed 33 significant strikes, compared to Sandhagen’s two. From that moment on, Sandhagen remained mainly defensive. 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 outstanding part of Dvalishvili’s game is his wrestling. Throughout the five rounds, his pressure in wrestling was relentless, attempting 37 takedowns and landing 20, a UFC record for a title fight and the second-highest number in any Octagon bout. It was the fifth fight in which Dvalishvili achieved 10 or more takedowns, extending his own UFC record for total takedowns, which now amounts to 117. Dvalishvili’s winning streak is the fourth longest in UFC history. He hasn’t lost a fight since April 2018 and is at the top of the bantamweight rankings, as well as being ranked number 3 pound-for-pound. Sandhagen (18-6), 33 years old and originally from Aurora, Colorado, was looking to become the only American male champion.Remember, I said my plan was to knock him out. Almost, almost,” declared Dvalishvili. “Now I think people will also respect my striking.
Merab Dvalishvili
