Cory Sandhagen gets brutally honest about his chances against Merab Dvalishvili in potential fight: "I think that I have his kryptonite"

Cory Sandhagen recently shared his thoughts on the Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov title bout and outlined why he believes his fighting style could pose significant challenges for the reigning UFC bantamweight champion. 'The Machine' secured a commanding unanimous decision victory over Nurmagomedov at UFC 311, successfully retaining his 135-pound title.

During a recent appearance on MMA on SiriusXM, Sandhagen, who went the distance with Nurmagomedov in a full five-round fight, discussed how the Dagestani expended a considerable amount of energy early in the rounds. 'The Sandman' suggested that this strategy ultimately played a role in Nurmagomedov's loss to Dvalishvili:

"I don't know if it was in his head, but he kind of made it an ego thing where he was like, 'Yeah, try to take me down.' Then he defended the shots super hard—he defended all of the shots beautifully—but those take a lot of energy."

Sandhagen further explained that he believes his style presents a greater threat to 'The Machine' than anyone else in the bantamweight division. He also expressed confidence that he is only one or two fights away from earning a title shot:

"Not to be clickbaity, but I do think that I have the style to beat Merab. You can say whatever you want about my style, but I do believe that I have some of the best footwork in the sport, and I can create space better than anyone... I think that I have his [Dvalishvili's] kryptonite."

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'The Sandman' saw his three-fight win streak come to an end after enduring a hard-fought unanimous decision loss to Nurmagomedov at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024.

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Cory Sandhagen dismisses potential rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley

Cory Sandhagen recently explained why he thinks there’s little excitement surrounding a potential rematch between Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. This is the bout 'Sugar' has been advocating for ever since his loss of the bantamweight title at UFC 306 in September 2024.

In an Instagram video, 'The Sandman' revealed his eagerness to return to the octagon and stated that O'Malley would be the perfect opponent for his next fight:

"Let’s be real, O’Malley has no business fighting Merab for an immediate rematch. He got beat up in the first fight. He’s going to get beat up in the second fight. No one wants to see that fight."

He added:

"I’m not booked yet. I want to fight. I am so damn bored. I’ll even give this fool as much time as he wants the way that Aljamain [Sterling] gave him as much time as he wants. Just UFC, make the fight that the fans want to see, which is me and O’Malley. Make it happen soon. I’m so f**king bored."

Check out Cory Sandhagen's comments below: