Cory Sandhagen’s team is not afraid to battle Merab Dvalishvili in the UFC bantamweight champion’s wheelhouse.
After falling short of an interim title back in 2021, Sandhagen has his first shot at the undisputed 135-pound belt at this Saturday’s UFC 320 pay-per-view.
Having won four of his last five fights, including a main event against Deiveson Figueiredo this past May, Sandhagen will challenge champion Dvalishvili in the October 4 co-main event at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
While ‘The Sandman’ is known for his striking talents, he’s seen as more well-rounded than the Georgian star’s most recent opponent, Sean O’Malley.
But even those who hold Sandhagen’s ground game in high regard may still be surprised by coach Trevor Wittman’s recent remarks…
Trevor Wittman hints at pro-grappling approach from Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320
Dvalishvili submitted O’Malley at UFC 316 to defend his title for the second time. The bout extended his winning run to 13 straight fights, a streak that has seen ‘The Machine’ smother opponents with his wrestling ability and insane cardio.
Despite that, though, Sandhagen has repeatedly rejected any suggestion that he will be outmatched in the grappling realm. And that confidence is evidently shared by his coach, who suggested that the challenger not only welcomes wrestling exchanges against Dvalishvili, but may even initiate them.
“I don’t think a lot of guys do it against Merab,” Wittman said during the UFC 320 Countdown episode. “They go out there and they’re just, ‘Hey, don’t get taken down.’ And then when they get taken down, they’re on plan B.
“I don’t want (Sandhagen) to think like that. Can we sweep him? Can we take him down?
“That mindset is what it takes to be a champion,” he added.
Cory Sandhagen already knows who he wants after Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 320
While Sandhagen has an almighty challenge ahead of him at UFC 320, one that nobody has succeeded in since 2018, that is not stopping the American contender from looking ahead.
Beyond the upcoming PPV, ‘The Sandman’ already knows who he wants to fight next. Sandhagen named two contenders he wants to face after UFC 320 — and they are both bantamweight stars he has crossed swords with before.
“I really like the feeling of, I will be in charge of who I fight next and where it’s gonna be,” Sandhagen said while speaking to New York Post Sports.
“I don’t wanna fight Umar and I don’t wanna fight Petr Yan in the Middle East again.
“I wanna fight them here stateside where they can deal with the travel and all of that stuff,” he added.