Cory Sandhagen has stirred the pot ahead of his upcoming bout, asserting that his highly anticipated opponent, Merab Dvalishvili, does not rank as the UFC`s top pound-for-pound fighter. This declaration comes as Sandhagen prepares for his inaugural undisputed title shot at UFC 320, a momentous occasion following his prior attempt for an interim bantamweight belt four years ago.
Sandhagen`s path to this championship opportunity is marked by significant victories against formidable opponents, including Song Yadong, Marlon Vera, Rob Font, and Deiveson Figueiredo. He now faces `The Machine,` Merab Dvalishvili, who is widely considered nearly invincible, entering the contest with an impressive 13-fight winning streak that has positioned him as a leading figure in the bantamweight division. Despite Dvalishvili’s remarkable run, Sandhagen surprisingly indicated that he would not be sharing the octagon with the promotion`s absolute best on October 4.
Cory Sandhagen Crowns Ilia Topuria as UFC`s Elite Fighter Over Merab Dvalishvili
During a pre-fight week interview with TNT Sports, `The Sandman` engaged in a playful segment titled `The Best,` where he was prompted to name the “best fighter in the UFC right now.” Rather than using the moment to commend his powerful upcoming opponent, a choice that would certainly have been justified given Dvalishvili’s record, Sandhagen instead chose a fighter well-known to his UFC 320 rival: Ilia Topuria.
Ilia Topuria recently made history by achieving dual-champion status in the UFC, adding the lightweight title to his featherweight reign. His spectacular knockout victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 not only earned him the 155-pound strap but also propelled him to the pinnacle of the pound-for-pound rankings, displacing Islam Makhachev.
Cory Sandhagen Confident in Diverse `Routes to Victory` Against Merab Dvalishvili
Despite Merab Dvalishvili`s undeniable 13-fight winning streak, which has solidified his place in the bantamweight GOAT conversation, Sandhagen firmly believes the Georgian fighter will find limited ways to secure a win at UFC 320. The confident challenger expressed immense certainty in his ability to neutralize Dvalishvili’s celebrated strengths, fully expecting to dominate `The Machine` in striking exchanges.
“Unless his striking has gotten a lot better, it’s going to be a really hard night for him,” Sandhagen told UFC.com. He further elaborated on his conviction: “Not once in a fight have I felt incredibly fatigued the way that I’ve seen some of his other opponents be. Not once in a fight have I been on my back for longer than 10 seconds unless it was something that I was trying to do. So you take those two things off the table, which I’ve proven time and time again that I’m very good at, and Merab doesn’t have a lot of routes to victory, and I have a lot of them. It’s going to be my night. I’m going to be champ.”
