Former UFC champ names Cory Sandhagen as the man to topple Merab Dvalishvili in potential title fight: “He has the tools"
Cory Sandhagen has been on the cusp of a coveted UFC title shot for several years. Having missed out on two chances to compete for gold after suffering defeats to Aljamain Sterling and Umar Nurmagomedov in official title eliminators, 'The Sandman' has worked his way back to the top of the list of contenders.
With Sandhagen one or two wins away from competing for UFC gold, he has been labeled as the man to potentially stop the seemingly undeniable force of Merab Dvalishvili.
After handing Sean O'Malley a decision loss to win the title at Noche UFC 306, Dvalishvili beat the previously undefeated Nurmagomedov in resounding fashion at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 to defend the belt.
It is currently unclear who the 34-year-old will face next, but a former opponent of the Georgian's, Henry Cejudo, has backed Sandhagen as the man to defeat 'The Machine'.
Cejudo was recently interviewed by Home of Fight, where he said this:
"I think the person that they should give [Dvalishvili] is Sandhagen. That fight with Sandhagen makes a lot of sense. Sandhagen could potentially beat him, dude. That little move to the side, you follow and he throws a knee. Bro, Sandhagen is tricky. I still think Merab beats him, but he has the tools to really shut out Merab's lights."
Watch Henry Cejudo discuss Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen below (12:25):
Cory Sandhagen labels himself Merab Dvalishvili's "kryptonite"
Cory Sandhagen believes he has the skillset to defeat the bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. After losing his first two fights in the promotion, Dvalishvili has gone on a 12-fight winning streak. Having most recently defeated Umar Nurmagomedov, there are not many fresh contenders for 'The Machine' to face.
There are two fighters in the division's top five whom the Georgian has yet to face, including Sandhagen and Deivesion Figueiredo.
Should 'The Sandman' receive the next title shot instead of the former flyweight champion, the American is confident he can lay claim to the title. He was recently interviewed by MMA on SiriusXM and said this:
"Not to be clickbaity, but I do think that I have the style to beat Merab. You can say whatever you want about my style, but I do believe that I have some of the best footwork in the sport, and I can create space better than anyone... I think that I have his [Dvalishvili's] kryptonite."
Check out Cory Sandhagen's comments below: