UFC Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has the chance to do whatever few have on October 4.
Dvalishvili is on a fast road to quantity at 135 pounds, a division that he has ruled with an iron fist since he was not in the atmosphere in September 2024 in September 2024.
After Dvalishhvili became the first to defeat Umar Nurmagomedov in his opening defense, the Georgian was given the task of repeating his title -winning performance in a rematch with 'Suga'. He did more than only in Newark last June, with Dvalishvili O'Malley submitting in the UFC 316 headliner in the UFC.
And it did not take long before 'the machine' has added its next assignment to the calendar.
Merab Dvalishvili will be in good company if he registers a third successful UFC title defense of the year
Dana White recently announced a whole series of large matchups, including the defense of Dvalishvili against Cory Sandhagen on UFC 320. The event will take place in the T-Mobile Arena of Las Vegas on 4 October and will be viewed by the light heavyweight championship between Magomed Ankalaev and Alexara.
Interestingly, DvalishVili gets the chance to become a member of one of the men with whom he shares the Line -Up, 'Patan', in an impressive category of champions.
Seven title holders in the UFC history have reached three successful defenses in a calendar year. The first was Frank Shamrock in 1998 and the last one was last year, when the Brazilian Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr. eliminated in the room of eight months.
Dvalishvili gets the chance to become a member of Pereira and Shamrock, next to Kamaru Usman (2021), Demetrious Johnson (2013), Chuck Liddell (2006), Matt Hughes (2002) and Tito Ortiz (2001), when he takes the walk in UFC 320.
UFC hunters who successfully defended their title 3 times in a calendar year: @merabdvalishvil – 2025? Alex Pereira – 2024Karu USMAN – 2021DEMETRIUSOUS Johnson – 2013Chuck Liddell – 2006matt Hughes – 2002tito Ortiz – 2001frank Shamrock – 1998pic.twitter.com/lj1juhizoe
– Ovin Vithanage (@ovinvithanage) July 24, 2025
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How Cory Sandhagen is planning to prevent that happening
When it comes to how Sandhagen will prevent 'the machine' from joining that exclusive club, he gave a fairly simple explanation.
After Joe Rogan wondered how someone could beat Dvalishvili in the aftermath of his UFC 316 version, Sandhagen had a short and sweet answer – hit him.
“Merab did a great job (on UFC 316). I expected that Merab would look better in this fight,” said Sandhagen during an interview with ESPN MMA.
“Merab is the best man in the division, maybe one of the best guys in the UFC. I want to get that guy out.
“You have to beat that guy,” Sandhagen said when he was asked how to stop 'the machine' that is Dvalishvili. “That's it, you just have to disable that guy.”