Merab Dvalishvili retained the bantamweight title tonight at UFC 320 with a unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen.
Round One
Jab for Sandhagen. One-two from Dvalishvili, but Sandhagen lands a counter-punch. Leg kick for Sandhagen.
Nice left hand timed by Sandhagen as Dvalishvili came forward. Jab for Sandhagen . Merab darts in for his first takedown attempt, but Sandhagen brushes that aside.
Body punch for Sandhagen and then Dvalishvili lands a punch too. Merab clinches up now and presses Sandhagen into the cage. Merab trying to disrupt his balance, but unable to get the challenger down yet.
Knee strike to the leg from Dvalishvili and then is able to work the takedown. Sandhagen stands straight back up though and Sandhagen soon breaks away from the resulting clinch.
Three-piece combo lands for Sandhagen. Now a leg kick. Sandahagen perhaps thinking about a takedown for a moment, but Dvalishvili lands a couple of punches that deter him.
Leg kick for Sandhagen. Step-in knee to the body from him. Dvalishvili barrels forward with punches, but Sanadhagen slides away.
Inside leg kick from Merab, but Sandhagen lands one of his own before the horn sounds.
Round Two
Single-leg attempt from Merab, tries for the trip to finish it, but Sandhagen stays upright. Dvalishvili in the clinch against the cage now instead. He gets Sandhagen to his knees for a brief moment, but he gets straight back up. Merab drags him down again, and he stands once more.
Sandhagen breaks away from the clinch and lands a body punch. Head kick attempt from Sandhagen.
Merab batters forward with punches and manages to connect. He lands another and Sandhagen is dazed. More punches follow and the challenger is just hanging on here. He does manage to survive the blitz though as Merab opts to clinch up. Suplex from the champion.
Sandhagen back to his feet. Merab hauls him back down again. Rinse and repeat as he’s taken down a couple more times and then right back up again.
Another takedown and this time Sandhagen stays on his back with his legs high potentially fishing for a submission opportunity. Merab gets into his full guard now.
Sandhagen stands and sure enough he’s dragged to the mat again. He gets back up and manages to stay upright for the remaining seconds in the round.
Round Three
Inside leg kick for Sandhagen. Head kick from Merab misses. Left hand for the champion.
Merab into the clinch and goes around to the back. Merab punches as Sandhagen moves away. Sandhagen with a punch to the body. Right hand for Merab and another body shot from Sandhagen.
Grazing left hook from Merab. Single-leg attempt from the champ, then switches to the back in the clinch.
Sandhagen back to striking range. Sandhagen comes close with a head kick attempt. Merab punches his way back into the clinch. He kicks out Sandhagen’s base to land another brief takedown.
Back to striking range and Sandhagen fires off a few punches. Single-leg to leg sweep from Merab. Sandhagen back up and eats a few knees to the thigh from Merab.
Merab with a final takedown of the round and then blasting the back of Sandhagen’s leg with knees.
Round Four
Inside leg kick for Dvalishvili. Outside leg kick from Sandhagen. Leg kick for Sandhagen and then a one-two.
Merab gets the single-leg takedown. Sandhagen tries to scramble back up, but he just can’t keep Merab off him.
Back to the center of the Octagon now. Punch to the body for Sandhagen. Another body punch now.
Grazing left hand from Sandhagen. Merab back in the clinch. Sandhagen tried to get on top as Merab works another takedown, but nothing doing.
Right hand counter for Sandhagen as Merab threw a punch. Right hand lands for Sandhagen nicely. He tries to find an uppercut now.
Merab with a hip throw late in the round and then tries to set up a d’arce choke. Sandhagen able to survive for the final seconds of the round though.
Round Five
Jabs for Sandhagen. Right hand gets through for Merab. Good takedown from Dvalishvili. Merab chipping away with punches as Sandhagen stands.
Inside leg kick for Merab. Right hand for Dvalishvili. He clinches and forces Sandhagen to the mat yet again. The challenger keeps getting up though and is back to striking range once again.
Spinning back kick to the body for Sandhagen. Merab back into the clinch and drags him to the mat. This time they end up in a bit of an odd spot and Merab has to clear his arm out as Sandhagen tries to look for a submission.
Right hand for Sandhagen. Body kick. Punch for Merab and Sandhagen lands to the body. Good takedown for Merab. Sandhagen bleeding from a cut near his eye.
Sandhagen to his knees as Merab chips away with light ground-and-pound. Sandhagen back up and Merab drags him down again.
This time when Sandhagen stand, Merab looks to tee off, but then he gets caught by a punch from Sandhagen, and the champ backs off. Wheel kick attempt from Sandhagen misses.
Decision
No doubt about the winner here then, with Merab Dvalishvili successfully making his third defense of the bantamweight in the space of a year via unanimous decision (49-45 x2, 49-46).
