Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen squared off in a Bantamweight contest earlier tonight (Sat. Oct. 4, 2025) live on ESPN+ pay-per-view inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada in UFC 320.
Sandhagen
was aggressive early, working behind his lead hand and chopping low kicks. The left hook seemed to be a major weapon for “The Sandman,” as it landed often right away. When Dvalishvili fired a big combination, the counter left hook clipped him in response. 90 seconds into the fight, Dvalishvili’s first takedown attempt was stuffed. His second came a moment later, and this landed him in the clinch, where he eventually dragged down the challenger. Before too long, Sandhagen was up and able to return to the center. He continued to attack the lead leg and close exchanges with a stiff jab.
It was a strong opening five minutes for Sandhagen.
Dvalishvili went really hard for the single leg takedown right off the bat in round two. After an extended exchange, he was able to drag down Sandhagen. He couldn’t keep him down, however, and Sandhagen ripped the body on the break. Dvalishvili put together a nice four punch combination that landed hard! He followed up with a bunch of hard swings and dropped the kickboxer! “The Machine” flurried hard and landed dozens of punches, but somehow, Sandhagen was able to maintain his consciousness … but there was still a ton of time left in the round.
Numerous mat returns kept Dvalishvili in the driver’s seat, though Sandhagen seemed to recover his bearings on the canvas. For the second half of the round, Dvalishvili didn’t do much damage but definitely asserted his physicality on the underdog.
Dvalishvili ducked an elbow and landed a takedown in the opening minute of round three. Sandhagen created separation quickly though, fighting hands really well. The duo traded right hands. A head kick snuck through with the guard for Sandhagen, then Dvalishvili scored a couple punches near the fence. Sandhagen returned the favor a moment later, but he was struggling to shake Dvalishvili off him. “The Machine” couldn’t advance or even hold position significantly, yet he was really taking over the flow of the bout.
It was starting to look like a typical Dvalishvili fight.
Sandhagen returned to his kicks to good effect early in the fourth then stuck a hard 1-2 down the middle. In response, Dvalishvili caught a kick and converted into another brief takedown. Sandhagen popped a double jab then dug a left hook to the liver. Sandhagen was winning the boxing as he shucked off another Dvalishvili clinch attempt. He landed a big left hand but was then forced to fight off the wrestling yet again. Back in the opening, Sandhagen landed a cracking right hand counter then a stiff uppercut. Dvalishvili landed a big clinch throw in the final 30 seconds, but he didn’t land anything before the bell.
It was the best Sandhagen round since the opening frame.
Dvalishvili ate a left hook and landed a harder right hand in the opening exchange of the final round. “The Machine” then ducked into another takedown, but Sandhagen’s stand ups were on point — he was free within a few seconds. Dvalishvili landed two hard rights and another brief takedown. Sandhagen worked back up and spun into a hard kick. Dvalishvili found a knee but then ate a hard two-punch combination. With 90 seconds remaining, Dvalishvili landed another takedown — this time in the center of the cage. Dvalishvili was able to maintain some top control, but when Sandhagen finally stood back up, he scored a hard punch that backed off the wrestler.
It wasn’t enough.
Front-to-back, this was a great fight. Sandhagen brought a smart game plan and some much-needed aggression to the cage, but Dvalishvili is simply a force of nature. The knockdown in round two was a massive turning point, and once Dvalishvili starts finding success, it’s so hard to break his rhythm. Dvalishvili is still at the absolute top of his game, and he’s in the midst of an all-time great year.
Result: Dvalishvili defeats Sandhagen via unanimous decision
For complete UFC 320 results and play-by-play, click here.
