Merab Dvalishvili breaks down his expectation for Cory Sandhagen fight

UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili has explained what he believes could happen in his title fight against Cory Sandhagen.

On Saturday night, Merab Dvalishvili will defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event of UFC 320. It’s set to be one of the toughest tests of Merab’s unbeaten run, and for Sandhagen, it’ll easily be the biggest fight of his career.

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Right now, Dvalishvili is considered to be the favorite to successfully defend his belt and move on to pastures new. He’s even suggested that he’s aiming to knock Sandhagen out which, given Cory’s striking prowess, seems like a pretty brave statement to make.

There are plenty of different theories regarding how this one is going to play out. In his media day scrum, Dvalishvili had the following to say about this showdown.

Dvalishvili’s view on Sandhagen fight at UFC 320

“So, we’re going to start fighting in standing, striking, and most of the time, our fight would be striking. Even Cory Sandhagen is saying he’s trying to take me down, and of course I’m going to get up. We know if I take Cory Sandhagen down, he would get up. So, that’s what I’m saying, that most of the time, maybe the fight will be striking.

“In striking, I’m getting better. I look really good, sharp, and I can knock him out. It’s a fight, of course, I will fight wherever fight will go. That’s my goal to knock him out striking. That’s just – that would be nice for me. It’s a fight. It’s MMA fight. I’m not promising nothing.”

“Today’s plan is this, to strike him and knock him out, but maybe plan change tomorrow, and maybe I go to original plan for striking and knock him out again,” Dvalishvili said. “That’s how it works.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie