Cory Sandhagen discusses Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling’s bond ahead of UFC San Antonio main-event fight

Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Vera are set to headline UFC on ESPN 43 this weekend in San Antonio, Texas. Ranked No.5 and No.3 in the division respectively, both men will be hoping to showcase a performance worthy of a title shot.

During Sandhagen's pre-event press conference, he was asked to share his thoughts on the friendship between bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and No.1-ranked bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili.

The pair met in 2013 when 'The Machine' joined the Serra-Longo Fight Team, and the two have struck up a close friendship. Given their relationship, both men have stated that they would refuse to fight one another. Dvalishvili made it clear that he is willing to wait for Sterling to move to featherweight before asking for a title shot.

'The Sandman' praised both fighters' decision to forgo a championship clash to maintain their friendship. Cory Sandhagen said:

"I honestly think both of them are setting a really good example for people. There's maybe things that are more important than being a world champ. Like keeping the relationships that you have with people that are really strong, keeping those. We'll see when push comes to shove, if that's really what they stick with, which I'm really curious to see. I commend the both of them for the way that they're approaching this... I think that it's pretty cool that they're conducting themselves the way they are in a really awkward situation."

Watch the video below from 12:45:

A famous example of two teammates and friends falling out over their pursuit of the same UFC title is what happened between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans.

It appears that Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili may have learned from the lessons of former fighters, a decision that Cory Sandhagen seems to agree with.

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Cory Sandhagen analyzes Marlon Vera ahead of their main-event clash

Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Vera are set to battle over five rounds this weekend in a highly anticipated clash.

Both bantamweights rely mostly on their striking to win fights, and fans are expecting an epic showcasing of two totally different styles. 'The Sandman' relies on his elusive movement and incredible versatility of strikes to dominate his opponents. On the other hand, Vera employs a less kinetic approach, stalking his opponents while landing brutal kickboxing combinations.

Cory Sandhagen appeared in front of the media at the pre-event press conference and dissected Vera's style. He said:

"Marlon is a dog, he presses forward. He's a very rooted fighter, his feet are often on the floor so he can get shots off really quickly. Hits people good on exits, hits people good on entrances, [he] doesn't mix it up a ton. Definitely kickboxing is his biggest attribute, along with being very durable and having a hell of a will to win... What's more exciting that some of the best kickboxers in the division going at it?"