Merab Dvalishvili welcomes title defense with Cory Sandhagen after UFC 316 win: ‘I love that’

Off the back of his stellar win over Sean O’Malley tonight, Merab Dvalishvili has welcomed the chance to defend his title against perennial contender, Cory Sandhagen next after another dominant victory at UFC 316.

Dvalishvili, who rematched former champion, O’Malley tonight following their Noche UFC showdown in September of last year, would defend his divisional crown for the second time tonight.

Fresh from a dominant unanimous decision win over the previously unbeaten, Umar Nurmagomedov back in January, Dvalishvili returned tonight in search of a definitive victory over O’Malley.

And lodging just that, Georgian star, Dvalishvili landed upwards of five takedowns through three rounds against the incoming title challenger.

Becoming the first to submit O’Malley in the process, Tbilisi cardio machine, Dvalishvili would wrap up an eventual D’Arce choke win over the Montana striker, forcing an eventual tap to maintain his bantamweight supremacy.

Merab Dvalishvili welcomes Cory Sandhagen challenge after UFC 316

And sat Octagon-side tonight was former interim champion, Cory Sandhagen — fresh from his win over former flyweight kingpin, Deiveson Figueriedo, was immediately welcomed as a challenger by Dvalishvili.

“I would love it [a fight with Cory Sandhagen],” Merab Dvalishvili told Joe Rogan during his post-fight interview after UFC 316. “I like the opponent. Cory, I love you, bro. I like your jokes lately. Keep making jokes — keep having fun, bro.”

Previously challenging for interim bantamweight spoils back in 2021, Sandhagen came unstuck in an eventual unanimous decision loss to common-foe, former undisputed titleholder, Petr Yan in their short-notice showdown in the Middle East.