Dvalishvili cruises past Sandhagen, retains UFC bantamweight title

Merab Dvalishvili defeated Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision to retain the bantamweight title in the UFC 320 co-main event Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The judges scored the fight 49-45, 49-45, and 49-46.

One of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Dvalishvili became the first UFC bantamweight champion to record three successful title defenses in a calendar year.

He also extended his winning streak to 14, which is the third-longest in UFC history behind Anderson Silva (16), Kamaru Usman (15), and Islam Makhachev (15).

"I keep getting better," Dvalishvili said in his postfight interview.

"The Machine" used pace and pressure to cruise past Sandhagen, outlanding the challenger 114-80 in significant strikes and completing 20 of 37 takedowns. Dvalishvili became the first UFC fighter to land 100 career takedowns and also set a new record for the most takedowns landed in a five-round title bout.

Dvalishvili nearly scored a finish in the second round. He rocked Sandhagen with heavy punches on the feet and then pummeled him with ground-and-pound, but Sandhagen survived.

Dvalishvili's relentless attack continued in the championship rounds, as he constantly backed Sandhagen up and shot takedowns to secure the clear-cut victory.

Afterward, Dvalishvili said he hopes to fight again at UFC 322 in December.

"Petr Yan looked good (in his last fight), and I think he's ready," Dvalishvili said. "I want to keep busy. Hunter Campbell and Dana White, if you have a spot in December, I would love to make a quick turnaround."

The 34-year-old Georgian is in the midst of an all-time run, avoiding defeat since 2018. Dvalishvili won the bantamweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Sean O'Malley at UFC 306 in September 2024 and has defended it against Umar Nurmagomedov, O'Malley, and now Sandhagen.

Ranked No. 4 in the division, Sandhagen challenged for the undisputed title for the first time. The 33-year-old fell to 1-2 in his last three Octagon outings.