Ten days after UFC 320 in Las Vegas, Cory Sandhagen is still reflecting on his loss to bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. The Georgian powerhouse controlled the fight from start to finish, earning a dominant unanimous decision and setting a new record for most takedowns in a single title bout with twenty successful attempts.
Sandhagen initially praised the champion’s relentless pace, but during a later conversation with Ariel Helwani, his tone shifted. The contender downplayed the significance of Merab’s wrestling record and questioned the effectiveness of those takedowns.
“I mean, the 20 takedowns is kind of funny to me, because I think that if you watch that fight, you’re not going to be like, ‘Wow, Merab’s wrestling was super impressive’ because what’s a takedown without any control?” Sandhagen said. “It’s kind of just, like, mat returns don’t hurt. You know what I mean? Like, it’s not like he was picking me up and slamming me….. if you just bump me down to my knees and I just have to get back up, that to me, is not like a quote, unquote, MMA takedown. Maybe it scores points in wrestling, but I mean, you’re not doing any damage.”
Dvalishvili’s Relentless Style Leaves No Room To Breathe
While Sandhagen criticized the tactics, the champion’s strategy clearly worked. Dvalishvili controlled the pace across five rounds, using pressure and chain wrestling to stifle Sandhagen’s striking. He nearly finished the fight in the second round before cruising to another decisive title defense.
The loss marked Sandhagen’s second unsuccessful attempt at a championship. Yet, despite the setback, he remains optimistic about his future. The 33-year-old plans to return in early 2026 and has his sights set on former champion Sean O’Malley — a matchup that could easily headline a major event.
Sandhagen Admits Merab’s Grip Was Hard To Break
Reflecting further on the fight, Sandhagen explained that he underestimated how persistent Dvalishvili would be with his grappling control and body locks.
“I know who’s working harder in those positions, and Merab,” Sandhagen added. “Like, it’s way harder to hold someone down and continue to mat return someone than it is to continue to get up. I was actually really surprised that he was really adamant about staying on those body locks for so long. In a lot of his other fights, he’ll kind of fight for that a little bit, but then let go and start punching. And I was kind of expecting him to do that, but he made me fight his grip the whole time. He milked a lot of clock doing that. It’s a gamey way to win.” via MMAMania
Despite his frustration, Sandhagen credited Dvalishvili for executing his strategy with discipline and cardio few can match.
“The 20 takedowns is kind of funny to me. If you watch that fight, you’re not gonna be like, ‘Wow, Merab’s wrestling was super impressive.’ What’s a takedown without any control?
Mat returns don’t hurt… It’s way harder to hold someone down.”@corysandhagenx on Merab scoring… pic.twitter.com/4zulJO6GWe
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 14, 2025
As the bantamweight division moves forward, Merab Dvalishvili’s name continues to stand tall among the elite. Sandhagen, however, remains undeterred. A potential meeting with O’Malley could offer him a fast route back to contention and a chance to prove that his skill set still belongs among the best.
For now, his focus remains on recovery and evolution — learning from a fight he still believes he could have won under different conditions.
