Merab Dvalishvili is already eyeing his subsequent title challenger.
In October, Dvalishvili places his bantamweight title on the road for the third time this 12 months when he defends it towards Cory Sandhagen within the co-main occasion of UFC 320. Dvalishvili’s unimaginable run in 2025 — which additionally contains wins over Umar Nurmagomedov and Sean O’Malley — already has some followers calling him the bantamweight GOAT.
A win over Sandhagen solely provides gasoline to that fireplace, and presumably cements his standing because the 2025 Fighter of the Yr. However simply in case it doesn’t, Dvalishvili needs to depart little question.
Talking with the Full Ship podcast lately, Dvalishvili introduced that regardless of competing in October, he hopes to get yet another struggle on this 12 months even after that.
“I need a fast turnaround,” Dvalishvili stated. “I don’t overlook Cory Sandhagen. It’s going to be a troublesome struggle. However, God keen, I’m going to do my greatest to win this struggle, and if I win, I wish to comeback fast, turnaround, and I wish to struggle in December. I’ll ask the UFC a favor to offer me one other struggle in December. And even November. I don’t care. I can come again.
“As a result of Petr Yan is obvious contender proper now. He deserves it. I don’t wish to make him wait too lengthy. I could make a fast turnaround and struggle him, and after, we are going to see who shall be subsequent contender.”
Dvalishvili already confronted Yan as soon as earlier than, successful a dominant determination over him in 2023. The bout was not particularly aggressive, however since then, Yan has received three in a row, together with a unanimous determination win over Marcus McGhee in July.
If Dvalishvili accomplishes his aim, he would set a report as the primary UFC champion to defend a belt 4 instances in a single 12 months (seven champions have carried out it thrice, most lately Alex Pereira in 2024). Earlier than he can rejoice that achievement, first he should get previous Sandhagen.
And as a lot because it might sound that he’s trying previous his upcoming challenger, Dvalishvili guarantees he’s not.
“We all know types make fights and it’s going to be a tough fashion for me,” Dvalishvili stated. “He strikes so much on his toes. Additionally, when you take him down, he assaults the legs. He popped TJ Dillashaw’s knee, and he popped [Deiveson] Figueiredo’s knee, and Figueiredo gave up. After that Figueiredo tapped out. So yeah, I’ve to be sensible. That’s my job, to arrange good. On paper, I ought to win, however me, I wish to be the perfect model of myself.”
UFC 320 takes place on Oct. 4 at T-Cell Area in Las Vegas, headlined by a light-weight heavyweight title struggle rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira.
