Merab Dvalishvili Hopes for Fourth Fight in 2025 After UFC 320 Title Defense

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

​

Merab Dvalishvili doesn’t want to be a champion that sits on the sidelines.

“The Machine” will defend his 135-pound belt for the third time when he faces Cory Sandhagen in the UFC 320 co-main event on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Dvalishvili began his 2025 campaign with a unanimous decision victory over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January before submitting Sean O’Malley in the third stanza at UFC 316 this past June.


If all goes as planned at UFC 320, the Georgian grappler won’t be ready to call it a year.

“I want to be busy, I want to challenge myself more, stay disciplined,” Dvalishvili told UFC.com. “I’m healthy, I love this, and I want to be busy.


“I want to have four [fights] this year. This would be a real good opportunity if the UFC will give me the chance. I want to do the most. I want to enjoy this because I’m healthy, I’m ready, and I don’t want to waste time.”

Dvalishvili: Sandhagen ‘Most Deserving’ Contender​

Dvalishvili isn’t looking past Sandhagen, however. The Elevation Fight Team product has been victorious in four of his last five outings to emerge as a worthy No. 1 contender at 135 pounds.

“Cory Sandhagen is a great fighter and he finished fighters like Frankie Edgar and Marlon Moraes, he has a win over ]Mario] Bautista, who has looked good, and he was always fighting the best guys in the division,” Dvalishvili said “He’s the most deserving guy right now. He’s always ready to go and bring it, and he’s the most deserving guy right now.”

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Merab Dvalishvili Hopes for Fourth Fight in 2025 After UFC 320 Title Defense

Merab Dvalishvili doesn’t want to be a champion that sits on the sidelines.

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[FriskyRandy]

God dam do I ever love Merab.

How could anyone dislike this guy?

WAR MERAB.

 

[Tweak896]

Fuck yeah, hope other champs take note

 

[RockyLockridge]

How could anyone dislike this guy?

Aldo fight. and that's really it

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

God dam do I ever love Merab.

How could anyone dislike this guy?

WAR MERAB.

You have to be a casual to hate on Merab at this point.
I did a bit on his way up, I just wasn't appreciating his game enough.

 

[mkess101]

Love Merab...but not as much as I love my guy Cory. Merab 4th fight this year? Sure, he absolutely would be a guy who deserves an immediate rematch. But this Saturday...AND NEW!!!

 

[Khaosan]

O’Malley 3

 

[Hymen Crusher]

Man its nice to have champs like merab and Alex. They actually show up to work make weight and do their job. Its a novel concept these other champs should try it

 

[UppercutFromHades]

We cant really fault a champion for wanting to stay active.

 

[jeff7b9]

How could anyone dislike this guy?

WAR MERAB.

I have tried.

Little bastard doesn't make it easy.

I tend to prefer fighters who win by finish, and Merab wasn't finishing many fights there, so that was something... but then he went and finished Sean with that beautiful Ninja choke.


So...

I got nothing

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

Great to hear, I LOVE active champions, one of the main things I've become so frustrated with the last 5 years is inactive champions, we get a UFC HW title fight like once every 2 years now, its beyond boring and frustrating. It actually makes me really like a fighter when they are the champion and actually defend the belt and fight!, thats why I never said a bad word about Adesanya, because even though he was super cringe and his personality is off, I loved how he would defend the belt against all the number 1 contenders and didn't have all these mysterious injuries and mysterious issues and problems as to why he couldn't fight. Respect, this is what we want as fans. It just makes me like Merab more and more

 

[RockyLockridge]

Great to hear, I LOVE active champions, one of the main things I've become so frustrated with the last 5 years is inactive champions, we get a UFC HW title fight like once every 2 years now, its beyond boring and frustrating.

Volk, Poatan, Izzy, Merab.... gotta respect how often champs like that went out there and put out title fights. Izzy has had 12 title fights, 8 for poatan.... merab is putting his fourth out this weekend. hasn't had the title long. He could easily make it to 6 title fight wins faster than anyone ever.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

Volk, Poatan, Izzy, Merab.... gotta respect how often champs like that went out there and put out title fights. Izzy has had 12 title fights, 8 for poatan.... merab is putting his fourth out this weekend. hasn't had the title long. He could easily make it to 6 title fight wins faster than anyone ever.

Yeah totally agree, all those guys you listed are awesome and I respect them... active champions who defend the belt against all the number 1 contenders are all great in my mind, and thats the way its supposed to be. Love it. Thats all we really ask for as fans.. we want to see big time title fights, the more the better.

 

[PeterGriffin]

Not only is Merab fighting often, he's going after the best in his weight class. He wants the tough fights. We're a few weeks away from the HW division moving again too. 2025 has been an amazing year as an MMA fan. So many positive course corrections, lol.