Merab Dvalishvili Solidifies His Dominance in UFC Bantamweight
Merab Dvalishvili continues his impressive streak, successfully defending the UFC bantamweight championship with his 14th consecutive victory. In the co-main event of UFC 320 in Las Vegas, Dvalishvili dominated Cory Sandhagen. Dvalishvili (21-4), defending his belt for the third time, took total control in the second round. He took Sandhagen down with a series of strikes and achieved eight takedowns out of 13 attempts. In that round, Dvalishvili landed 33 significant strikes, while Sandhagen only landed two. From that moment on, Sandhagen mostly stayed on the defensive. Although he didn’t tire like other Dvalishvili opponents, he never posed a serious threat to the champion. The judges scored the fight 49-45, 49-45, and 49-46.However, the most outstanding part of Dvalishvili’s game is his wrestling. Over five rounds, he exerted constant pressure, attempting 37 takedowns and landing 20, setting 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, extending his own UFC record 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 number 3 in the pound-for-pound rankings. Sandhagen (18-6), 33 years old and originally from Aurora, Colorado, was looking to become the only American male champion. Following Jon Jones’ retirement in June and his relinquishment of the title, it was the first time since 2004 that no American man held a title.Remember, I said my plan was to knock him out. Almost, almost,” commented Dvalishvili. “Now I think people will also respect my striking.
Merab Dvalishvili
