Fans are rallying behind Merab Dvalishvili as he continues to dominate the bantamweight division. He recently defeated Sean O’Malley at UFC 316, sparking conversations about him being the greatest of all time (GOAT). Former champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo believe Dvalishvili could achieve what Jon Jones and Islam Makhachev haven’t in their divisions.
‘The Machine’ has defended his bantamweight title twice and is set to face Cory Sandhagen next. Usman and Cejudo argue that if he wins, he’ll solidify his status as the top pound-for-pound fighter and could surpass both Makhachev and Jones due to their fewer title defenses. On the Pound4Pound podcast, they said,
“Jones hasn’t gone through everybody in the heavyweight division. Islam hasn’t gone through everybody in the lightweight division. But Merab 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 No. 1 but also the Fighter of the Year 2025.”
The Georgian fighter is currently ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound in the UFC, just behind Makhachev. Additionally, a win against Sandhagen would greatly strengthen his case for Fighter of the Year. Additionally, fans are eager to see what’s next for Dvalishvili.
Henry Cejudo Predicts Cory Sandhagen Can Dethrone Merab Dvalishvili
Dvalishvili submitted O’Malley with a ninja choke at 4:42 of Round 3 at UFC 316. ‘The Machine’ successfully defended his title for the second time. Now, Sandhagen is next in line for a title shot. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili’s former rival, Henry Cejudo, believes Sandhagen has what it takes to beat an all-time great like Dvalishvili. Speaking on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cejudo said,
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“As much as I compliment Merab, I don’t think he beats Cory Sandhagen. The person that’s the most problematic for a guy like Merab Dvalishvili. It is Cory Sandhagen because Cory Sandhagen brings a lot more thump than a guy like Sean O’Malley.”
Cejudo also mentioned that Sandhagen is a bigger submission threat than O’Malley. Meanwhile, fans are eagerly anticipating a fight against ‘Sandman,’ but they will have to wait for official confirmation.
