Tensions soared between Merab Dvalishvili and Cory Sandhagen during their heated face-off on Thursday.
The UFC Bantamweight championship will be contested for the third time this year as champion Merab Dvalishvili endeavors to equal Aljamain Sterling`s record for most consecutive title defenses in the 135 lbs division.
Dvalishvili is slated to defend his title against formidable contender Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event of UFC 320, scheduled for Saturday in Las Vegas.
This bout marks Sandhagen`s initial bid for the undisputed championship, following several unsuccessful attempts in title eliminator fights and an interim title clash against Petr Yan in 2021.
Notably, with the exception of Umar Nurmagomedov, Sandhagen`s only losses in the UFC have come against former champions.
With a commendable record of four victories in his last five outings, ‘Sandman’ demonstrated unwavering resolve, refusing to yield during his first face-to-face encounter with Dvalishvili ahead of their eagerly anticipated title fight.
Cory Sandhagen Threatens Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 320 Faceoff
A heated exchange of words unfolded between Sandhagen and Dvalishvili on stage during the UFC 320 press conference.
Earlier in the week, Dvalishvili had hinted that his upcoming fight would involve approximately 90% striking, expressing a strong desire to become the first fighter ever to knock out Sandhagen.
When the bantamweights met face-to-face on Thursday, Dvalishvili confidently declared to Sandhagen that he was ‘going down’.
Sandhagen was visibly unamused by Dvalishvili`s bold prediction. As Dvalishvili emphatically reiterated his statement, Sandhagen retorted, “Really? That`s what you think?” He then issued a chilling threat, proclaiming, “I`m gonna put my knee through your face, Merab.” Sandhagen repeated the warning with intensity as UFC President Dana White intervened to separate the two fighters, preventing further escalation.
Cory Sandhagen`s Signature Flying Knee Knockout of Frankie Edgar
One of Sandhagen’s most memorable highlight-reel knockouts was delivered via a spectacular flying knee.
In 2021, Sandhagen squared off against former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar at the UFC Apex, a bout that unfortunately initiated a challenging three-fight losing streak for the esteemed UFC Hall of Famer.
In less than 30 seconds, Sandhagen precisely connected with Edgar`s chin, landing a perfectly timed flying knee that sent a stunned Edgar crashing to the canvas.
This remarkable flying knee knockout by Sandhagen earned recognition as UFC.com`s third-best knockout of 2021, cementing its place in the year`s highlights.
The highly anticipated fight will soon reveal whether Sandhagen can replicate such a devastating blow against Dvalishvili, who, throughout his impressive 24-fight professional career, has notably never been knocked out.
