Off the back of his impressive victory over the surging Marlon Vera atop last night’s UFC San Antonio card in the ‘Lone Star State’ – Cory Sandhagen has called for a bantamweight title-eliminator against the #1 ranked, Merab Dvalishvili next.
Headlining his second consecutive Fight Night billed card, Sandhagen, who most recently secured an impressive TKO win over Song Yadong back in September of last year, turned in another impressive performance in Texas this weekend.
Displaying his often overlooked grappling and wrestling chops, Colorado native, Cory Sandhagen battled to a rather one-sided, split decision (47-48, 50-45, 49-46) over the #3 ranked challenger, Vera.
Cory Sandhagen calls out Merab Dvalishvili next
Scoring his second successive victory with his judging win over Chone favorite, Vera, Sandhagen – who has suffered a submission loss to current bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, offered to fight the Uniondale native’s teammate, Dvalishvili next.
“Merab (Dvalishvili), you’re hungry? Well I’ve got something for you to eat,” Cory Sandhagen said during his post-fight Octagon interview. “And it don’t taste good.”
Is this the greatest callout in UFC history?
@CorySandhagen wants Merab next! #UFCSanAntonio pic.twitter.com/bJBJJx3DE2
— UFC (@ufc) March 26, 2023
Welcoming the potential number one contender decider clash, Dvalishvili replied to Sandhagen’s call on Instagram – writing, “The Machine says let’s go.”
In the midst of his own lenghty winning run under the promotion’s banner, Tbilisi native, Dvalishvili most recently took out common-foe, former undisputed bantamweight titleholder, Petr Yan in a clear-cut decision win at UFC Las Vegas earlier this month.
Throughout his Octagon tenure, Sandhagen, who has only suffered losses against former champions, Sterling, Yan, and a close decision loss to T.J. Dillashaw, clutches the #5 ranked at the time of publication.
During his UFC stint, the Elevation Fight Team mainstay has defeated the likes of John Lineker, Raphael Assuncao, Marlon Moraes, and former lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar.
As for champion, Sterling, the undisputed gold holder headlines UFC 288 in May – attempting his third title defense against the returning former two-weight champion, Henry Cejudo.