UFC legend believes Merab Dvalishvili deserves P4P No. 1 if he beats Cory Sandhagen: "Islam hasn't gone through everybody in the lightweight division"
A UFC legend recently opined that Merab Dvalishvili has made a strong case for the No. 1 spot on the pound-for-pound list and could secure that if he defeats Cory Sandhagen. He praised Dvalishvili and noted that he has done something others in the pound-for-pound list haven't.
Dvalishvili earned an impressive third-round submission over Sean O'Malley in their rematch to successfully retain his bantamweight championship. It was 'The Machine's second consecutive successful title defense and the promotion wasted little time making it known that his next title defense will be against Sandhagen.
Red Corner MMA posted a clip from Pound 4 Pound, which shows co-host Henry Cejudo praising Dvalishvili and sharing his thoughts on where he stands in the pound-for-pound rankings. Cejudo mentioned that 'The Machine' has completely cleared out the bantamweight division. which is something Islam Makhachev and Jon Jones haven't done in their respective divisions.
With that in mind, Cejudo believes that could certainly strengthen Dvalishvili's argument for the top spot in the pound-for-pound list. He said:
"Jones hasn't gone through everybody in the heavyweight division, Islam hasn't gone through everybody in the lightweight division. This dude is about to go through everybody in the division and there's no denying it... If Merab beats Cory Sandhagen, he not only deserves pound-for-pound number one, but also the Fighter of the Year 2025."
Check out the clip featuring Henry Cejudo's comments regarding Merab Dvalishvili below:
Kamaru Usman lavishes praise on Merab Dvalishvili following win over Sean O'Malley at UFC 316
Kamaru Usman also lauded Merab Dvalishvili following his latest win over Sean O'Malley and noted that he has changed the perception of his fighting style. He agreed with co-host Henry Cejudo and also believes Dvalishvili could move up in the pound-for-pound rankings.
In the aforementioned episode, Usman said:
"Dvalishvili not too long ago, [fans] were saying, 'Oh, this guy's boring'. Now look at Merab. Arguably, I would say one of my favorite champions... If Cory [Sandhagen] does not get it done, Merab Dvalishvili, I do see pushing him high up on that pound-for-pound list."
Check out Kamaru Usman's comments below: