Sandhagen Trusted His Footwork Against Merab—Then Met
Cory Sandhagen argued in January 2025 that his movement and distance management could trouble Merab Dvalishvili. The proposed bantamweight matchup eventually became a title fight at UFC 320 on October 4, 2025, where Dvalishvili retained his championship by unanimous decision.
The assessment followed Dvalishvili’s first title defense
Dvalishvili had just beaten Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. Sandhagen believed his own ability to open and close distance offered a different tactical answer to the champion’s relentless wrestling.
Sandhagen also acknowledged that an immediate title opportunity was difficult to justify after his decision loss to Nurmagomedov. His January comments combined confidence in the matchup with recognition of his competitive position.
Efficient takedown defense was central to the argument
Sandhagen identified footwork and energy-efficient wrestling defense as essential tools against Dvalishvili. The idea was to prevent constant entries from exhausting an opponent while preserving enough space to strike.
That assessment described a possible strategy rather than a completed performance. Dvalishvili’s repeated success against elite opponents had made solving his pressure one of the division’s central challenges.
The eventual championship fight favored Dvalishvili
Their October meeting took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and lasted five rounds. All three judges awarded the fight to Dvalishvili, with scores of 49–45, 49–45 and 49–46.
The verdict preserved the champion’s belt and left Sandhagen without the title he had pursued. His earlier confidence remained part of the matchup’s buildup, while the completed contest supplied the definitive sporting result.
