No one lives as a “machine” to the nickname more than Merab dvalishvili.
The surviving bantamweight champion showed off relentless pressure, wrestling and strike improvements, and he owned Collie Sandaghan in the fifth round to win a unanimous decision at the UFC 320 Co-Main event on Saturday night.
Dvalishvili almost got a knockout finish after blowing up Sandhagen with a punch in the second round, and it looked like the fight was over. For some reason, Sandhagen survived, but he was unable to slow down dvalishvili despite his best efforts.
When that was finished, the judges won the contests 49-45, 49-45, 49-46, and Dvalish Vili secured his title’s third defense in 2025.
“I’m a machine,” Dvalishvili said after his latest victory. “I’m continuing to get better. I train hard. I feel like I’m just starting out. I’m just starting out. Techniques, I’m just learning. My style is weird and I have to change every style.
It was another classic performance from Dvalishvili against Sandhagen’s game opponent.
Sandhagen found his impressive success as he kept the champions far away, choosing shots. It was a strong start as Sandhagen was smooth with his combination without being too aggressive, but it was only a matter of time before Dvalishvili slipped inside to grab his first takedown.
To his credit, Sandhagen stayed patiently and reset his legs freely, where he continued to slap Dvalishvili with long, intense strikes from the outside. It led to more attacks from Dvalishvili as he rushed through Sanhagen in search of a takedown, but he was unable to gain full control before the fight was revived again.
But that’s when Sandhagen moved forward again with a barrage of punches that was vaguely confused as he fell onto the canvas. Dvalishvili tried the finish and dropped the shot down, forcing Sandhagen to cover up so that he could survive the onslaught.
As the fight moved to the third round, Dvaliszvili continued to search for a takedown while Sanhagen was trying to punish the body. The relentless wrestling from Dvalishvili was never over as he continued to move forward, but Sandhagen still bouncing back to his feet every time.
Despite Sandhagen’s rise, dvalishvili continued to throw him back again.
That same strategy led Dvalishvili to close the distance, grabbed the body, and continued to pay dividends working for takedowns. Due to the threat of wrestling, Sanhagen mainly abandoned his kicking game and instead focused on his boxing, but he still couldn’t drive Dvalishvili away from him.
With time ticking in the fourth round, Sandhagen finally found the attack after snapping a hard, straight punch with Dvalishvili’s head snapped back. He chased it with a smooth uppercut, but Dvalishvili quickly took another takedown and grabbed the headlock until the horn rang.
When his coach urged him to chase Sandhagen’s neck again, Dvalishvili missed some solid punches before dragging the fight to the floor again. The scramble ended with a fighter in a strange position.
The grappling attack continued as Dvalishvili unleashed a big smile to celebrate his latest victory and Sandhagen approached his first opportunity to become an indisputable champion.
Despite the already crazy schedule for 2025, Dvalishvili maintained his promise to call for another fight before the year ends, as the UFC will need to fill in the final pay-per-view card in December.
“I think Petr Yang looks good,” Dvalishvili said. “I always keep saying that he’s ready and want to be busy. If you have a December spot, I want a quick turnaround.”