Dvalishvili Defends Bantamweight Title With 20 Takedowns vs Sandhagen

Merab Dvalishvili successfully defended his UFC bantamweight title, defeating Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Georgian champion dominated large portions of the five-round co-main event, recording a promotion-record 20 takedowns and pushing his career takedown total past the 100 mark as he cruised to scores of 49-45, 49-45 and 49-46.

Sandhagen pressed early, landing clean strikes and winning the opening frame on several scorecards, but Dvalishvili’s relentless pressure began to tell in round two. The champion landed a hard combination that visibly hurt Sandhagen before repeatedly dragging him to the canvas. Dvalishvili threatened with ground offense throughout the middle rounds, briefly locking in a darce choke in the fourth, and kept pace and positional control until the final horn.

Officials credited Dvalishvili with 20 takedowns in the fight, the most ever in a UFC title bout. He also became the first fighter in UFC history to surpass 100 career takedowns, milestones that underscored his wrestling-heavy, high-output style that has defined his recent run at 135 pounds.

Sandhagen posted a conciliatory message on social media...