Sandhagen Challenges Merab's Dominance In UFC 320 Bantam Class

JAKARTA - UFC 320 which will be held on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, is ready to present a historic duel. In addition to the main party for the fight for the light heavyweight title between Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira, there are also co-play events that are attracting attention: the winner of the Ramb Rambas Dvalishvili bantamweight retains his belt against the number one challenger, Cory Sandhagen.

Although many have favored Dvalishvili for Sandhagen, the Colorado fighter believes it can surprise the world. In an interview with Shak MMA, Sandhagen insisted he had found a new level after training with coach Trevor Wittman.

"He won against Umar because Umar was tired. I was never tired. He won against O because O was too careful and slow to rise. I could never be dominated by wrestling. If I fall, I immediately stand up, "said Sandhagen.

He even quipped that the only way Merab could win was if he fell ill. He could only hope I got the flu or infection this week. Because now I'm in the best condition of my life, wrestling is sharper than ever. I don't see he can win in his usual way," he added.

The dominance of UFC's MerabCommitator, E. Spencer Kyte, with coach Tyson Chartier, stressed how special Dvalishvili's journey is. His series of victories on behalf of big names such as Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, Sean O O, to Umar Nurmagomedov are considered one of the best runs in UFC history. Is there another bantamweight that has this strong record? Even when compared to Jon Jones in the early days, Merab remains extraordinary," said Chartier.

Merab's main advantage, according to Chartier, lies in an endless combination of cardios, non-stop wrapping, and higher confidence. He is also becoming known as a fighter who is no longer just controlling, but actively looking for a solution. "One unique thing, he can make opponents frustrated because he continues to move forward, continues to stick, and does not give space," he continued.

Chartier said Sandhagen couldn't just rely on striking. If he's just waiting, he's definitely dominated. The only way is to attack back with wrestling too. For Merab to be busy defending, creating a scramble, and attack from there. Cory has good jiu-jitsu, but he can only take advantage of that if he dares to enter the offensive wresting," he said.

Kyte added that Sandhagen's distinctive style with knee, uppercut, and mid-kick attacks could be a powerful weapon to slow Merab. If Merab goes recklessly, he can hit his knee straight into the face. That makes him have to rethink for his origin," he said.

Another thing that caught my attention was the change in the Merab style which is now called trained to be a finisher. Chartier reminds that this obsession can be dangerous. Sometimes when fighters start to get tempted to look beautiful, they get out of their main strength. We'll see if Merab will remain disciplined or take too much risk," he said.

Mental and Momentum This fight will also be greatly determined by who can control the early rounds. If Merab is ahead fast, how will Sandhagen respond? On the other hand, if Sandhagen was able to steal the first two rounds, would Merab's confidence waver? Everyone can be a hammer, but when it turns into a nail, only the true champion can return to being a hammer. That's a big difference between the elite and ordinary fighters," said Chartier.

The UFC 320 fight is like an engine battle that cannot strike against striking artists full of improvisation. Dvalishvili with cardio and wrestling without stopping, versus Sandhagen who has creativity, calm, and now full confidence.

Will The Machine continue to build his gold record and strengthen claims as the greatest bantamweight of all time? Or will Cory Sandhagen break dominance with a new strategy and steal the belt from the UFC cardio king?