Cory Sandhagen is rejecting the widespread view that he is a heavy underdog with little chance of defeating Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 320 this October. Despite Dvalishvili’s reputation as one of the toughest opponents in the UFC, Sandhagen is focused on overcoming the odds to claim the championship.
The challenge posed by Merab Dvalishvili’s relentless style
Merab Dvalishvili is well-known for his unmatched stamina, able to maintain a relentless pace throughout the full 25-minute fight duration. This endurance combined with strong wrestling skills and a progressively improved ground game has made Dvalishvili a formidable opponent who has consistently posed challenges that no fighter has solved in over seven years. His ability to continuously pressure opponents, forcing them into fatigue, compounds his threat inside the octagon.
Sandhagen’s perspective on Dvalishvili’s strengths and fight approach
While acknowledging Dvalishvili’s conditioning, Sandhagen refuses to buy into the narrative that his opponent is unbeatable.
“I’m not going to buy into any of the narrative that Merab’s this cardio machine,”
Sandhagen said.
That he’s this unbeatable guy. That he’s on a tear and can’t be stopped.
“I’m not buying into any of that. I fully plan on going out and beating Merab and wearing gold on my waist. That’s all that I know in my heart.”
Sandhagen understands the fight will not be a simple victory. He is preparing for a difficult battle, including dealing with the mental and physical fatigue Dvalishvili imposes on his opponents.
“Our bodies don’t do that good when we get tired,”
Sandhagen explained.
We don’t make as good of decisions and we don’t get to move as quick and have as good reactions when we are a little bit fatigued or a lot of it fatigued. Merab pulls people into that, of course, but even in the earlier ways that he fights, it’s very mentally stimulating. Really similar to the way that I fight, too. It’s always something going on that the other person has to be reacting to. I think that’s what Merab does really well on the technical [side], not just him being a freak cardio guy.”
“He’s a very focused and engaged fighter. When you’re fighting someone for 25 minutes and they’re engaging the entire time and they are pulling you into deep waters and getting you tired. That’s a pain in the ass. That’s what I do to a lot of people, too. I’ve been already kind of working that.”
Strategic focus: controlling the fight’s tempo
A critical part of Sandhagen’s game plan will be to prevent Dvalishvili from setting the pace and forcing him to react. Dvalishvili is known for driving fights forward with constant takedown attempts and pressure, often dominating opponents by making them fight on his terms. Sandhagen recognizes that to capture the title, he must lead the fight rather than follow.
“I think a major key component to fighting Merab is going to be to make sure that I’m the one leading the dance,”
Sandhagen said.
I’m making sure that I can mentally keep up with the pace that that’s going to be, and then also mentally keep up when I do get tired, because everyone gets tired in fights. Just making sure that my brain is good, and my brain can handle Merab for 25 minutes is kind of the key.”
“Because technically and scary wise, he’s a super phenomenal wrestler. You can’t take that away from him. Obviously now he’s a submission threat, too. But outside of that, he’s not the most dangerous guy in the world. So just making sure that I’m ready for the takedowns and the submissions and staying focused and making sure that I’m leading the dance and not Merab.”
Dvalishvili’s reputation compared to legendary champions
Unlike iconic UFC champions such as Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, who often intimidated their opponents before even fighting, Dvalishvili’s impact comes from his exhausting fighting style that mentally and physically dominates challengers. His style may not carry an intimidating aura, but it has proven effective in wearing down many opponents over time.
“When you fight a guy like Merab, fighting tired just isn’t very fun,”
Sandhagen said.
You can do it but it’s just not ideal, especially for a very athletic guy like [Sean] O’Malley. I think that Umar [Nurmagomedov] did a good job of being ‘I’m about to defend these shots, we can wrestle, we can wrestle, bitch.’ There’s that attitude going in to fight a wrestler and then there’s a [mentality] like ‘oh man, I want to keep out of the wrestling exchanges and stuff like that.’ I kind of made that mistake against Umar, too, where I ran from the wrestling exchanges a little bit too much, and I made it so amongst other things, I couldn’t do what I usually do.”
“So I learned from that fight big time that that’s not the way to approach someone that’s a really good grappler and is going to make you work for stuff. You kind of just have to [concede] all right bitch, this is what we’re doing and be OK with that and accept that. That makes it a lot easier.”
Preparation intensifies as UFC 320 approaches
With the fight scheduled for October, Sandhagen has been intensifying his preparation to ensure he is ready for every aspect of Dvalishvili’s game. While he has yet to offer a formal prediction, Sandhagen is confident in his ability to deliver a surprising performance that might upend expectations and earn him the championship belt.
“I think that I’ll probably surprise a lot of people with the way that I’ll fight Merab,”
Sandhagen said.
I’m excited for that.”
Potential impact of Sandhagen’s victory on the bantamweight division
If Cory Sandhagen captures the UFC bantamweight title from Merab Dvalishvili, it would mark a significant shift in the division’s landscape. Overcoming a fighter known for his relentless pressure and stamina would demonstrate Sandhagen’s evolution and cement his status among the elite. The bout at UFC 320 promises to be a defining moment, with both fighters displaying contrasting styles that could reshape the bantamweight championship’s future.