Merab Dvalishvili calls out former bantamweight title challenger
Merab Dvalishvili has his sights set on a new contender in the midst of the bantamweight division's confusion, and just as he did in 2019, the 135er has called out Cory Sandhagen.
With the bantamweight title picture unclear, the top contenders in the weight class need to put on a standout performance to leapfrog everybody else, and that's exactly what 'Sandman' set out to do in his last bout. On September 17, the striker put on a clinic against the tough Song Yadong, earning a late TKO stoppage.
In a post on social media, Merab Dvalishvili called for a matchup against Cory Sandhagen and recalled the time he proposed the fight to the #6 bantamweight two years ago.
"I called him out in 2019. He called me out a couple of months ago. This fight makes the most sense. #2 vs. #5. Let's go UFC. Let's make this happen."
I called him out in 2019. He called me out a couple of months ago. This fight makes the most sense. #2 vs. #5 . Let's go @ufc .. Let's make this happen 🦾 twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/5w8kvOyd04
'The Machine' is unbeaten in the sport since suffering back-to-back losses over four years ago. His debut in the company saw him lose a close split decision to Frankie Saenz, and he came up short in unusual circumstances in the following bout due to a guillotine choke by Ricky Simon.
The Georgian's eight-fight win streak continues to elevate him towards a title shot, but it remains to be seen whether the 31-year-old will pursue a shot at the throne while his teammate holds the crown.
Cory Sandhagen put an end to his bad run of form inside the cage with a huge win over the aforementioned Song Yadong. Prior to the win, the rangy athlete put up a losing effort in matchups against T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan.
Merab Dvalishvili and other top bantamweight contenders struggle
Despite it arguably being the best weight class in the sport, the current UFC bantamweight division has too many top competitors, all viable for a shot at Aljamain Sterling's gold, including close friend Merab Dvalishvili.
First, Sean O'Malley captured the #1 spot after beating Petr Yan, but with many believing the result to be a robbery, both men are potential title challengers. Alongside those two, a dominant Chito Vera can also stake a claim at a shot due to his recent form inside the octagon.
The returning Henry Cejudo is likely to get the next shot, according to Dana White, but as Aljamain Sterling has insisted that he's taking time away from the cage, confusion still surrounds the title picture at 135lbs.