UFC Bantamweight candidate Cory Sandhagen may have raised some eyebrows with his unique approach to combating Merab Dvalishvili.
Merab Dvalishvili retained his UFC Bantamweight Championship with a stunning entry on Sean O'Malley earlier this month at UFC 316. For the second time in nine months, Dvalishhvili O'malley defeated their rivalry.
After beating O'Malley, Dvalishvili focused his attention on a possible confrontation with Cory Sandhagen, which witnessed his UFC 316 firsthand. Sandhagen recently defeated Diveson Figueirso at UFC des Moines and called Dvalishvili in the immediate aftermath.
While Sandhagen is preparing for Dvalishvili at the height of the forces of the champion, he prepares a new approach to his pre-combat strategy.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
Cory Sandhagen provides insight into a unique game plan to deduct Merab Dvalishvili
The extraterrestrial conditioning of Dvalishvili has given his opponents during his career, in particular in recent victories over Henry Cejudo, Umar Nurmagomedov and O'Malley. Sandhagen and Dvalishvili share a common opponent in Nurmagomedov, who last year Sandhagen in UFC Abu Dhabi defeated in a 'Fight of the Year' community service.
Sandhagen took a large lesson away from the Nurmagomedov fight that he intends to use as the most important focus for his confrontation with Dvalishvili.
In a recent appearance about the Joe Rogan experience, Sandhagen was asked how he intends to prepare for the puzzle that Dvalishvili presents.
“His conditioning is a super power that other people don't get, and he clarifies it in a really smart way,” said Sandhagen.
“Approaching Merab will be unique in his own way, but I don't have to adjust what I am doing too much, to Merab. I really bought it in this idea where I can be if I can be the best war artist, I can't do that as well if I can do it. Homid to beat him.
“Merab has this narrative buzz around him when he is an unbeatable natural force that is true, and although that is true to a certain extent, that means nothing for the fact that the man cannot be defeated,” Sandhagen continued. “If I consider myself a hunter and myself technically, I am somewhere between Umar and Sean [O’Malley] In the task he will have for him. I am struggling much better than Sean does … I am not going to read too much in it, I will continue to worry that I lead to the fight, and I am going to deal with Merab with me, instead of having to deal with Merab. “
Sandhagen has shown a unique capacity to explicitly bouncing back from UFC oppositions. In the interview mentioned above, Sandhagen revealed that he had a lot of 'uncertainty' that stood in the way of putting in the skills of Nurmagomedov.
That uncertainty will have to be weakened by Sandhagen if he will deduct Dvalishvili later this year. According to Sandhagen, the UFC prepares a potentially massive location for Dvalishvili and Sandhagen to collide in the Octagon.
Cory Sandhagen shared the provisional timeline of UFC for Merab Dvalishvili Clash
Sandhagen shared that UFC matchmakers told him and his team that they are currently planning to book the Dvalishvili fight for November or December. The promotion usually books its annual Madison Square Garden card in November, who called Sandhagen a 'dream' opportunity in the sitdown with Joe Rogan.
Dvalishvili, who lived most of his earlier UFC official period in the New York area, would probably be confronted with Sandhagen in friendly territory. Dvalishvili wants to defend the belt at least twice before the end of 2025, against Sandhagen and a potential rematch with Nurmagomedov.
Dvalishvili vs. Sandhagen is the likely next fight to make in the UFC Bantamweight Division, and months from a possible confrontation, Sandhagen is in full-go mode while preparing for the largest matchup of his career.