Merab Dvalishvili is looking for a fourth UFC title defence in one year after his next title fight, with an opponent already in his sights.
After defeating Sean O’Malley for the title in 2024, Dvalishvili has notched up two defences of his coveted bantamweight title this year, with a third confirmed for October at UFC 320 against Cory Sandhagen.
He is considered one of the top five greatest bantamweight champions because of his impressive run in the division, which has seen him get the better of O’Malley twice and defeat the legendary Henry Cejudo.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
The defence against Sandhagen is a lively fight, which is scheduled to take the co-main event slot for the Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev rematch.
Merab Dvalishvili wants an eye-watering fourth UFC title defence in one year with an opponent in mind
While the fight against the fourth-ranked contender poses a risk to the Georgian, his expert takedowns and gas tank are likely to see him through the contest.
His belief in his own ability has certainly not waned, and he is already looking to add a fourth title defence in 2025, even with only two months left of the year following the 320 event.
‘The Machine’ spoke to the Full Send Podcast about his ambitions for the remainder of the year and chose when he would be willing to step back in the Octagon once again.
He said: “I don’t overlook Cory Sandhagen. It’s going to be a tough fight. But God willing, I’m going to do my best to win this fight, and if I win, I want a quick turnaround and I want to fight in December.”
A numbered card is highly likely for December, but is not yet confirmed by the organisation.
Merab is incredibly keen to remain active and has already eyed one opponent who he believes deserves the opportunity.
“I will ask the UFC for a favour to give me another fight in December or even November. I don’t care. Petr Yan is the clear contender right now. He deserves it,” he said.
“I don’t want to make him wait too long. I can take a quick turnaround and fight him, and after we will see who will be the next contender.”
Petr Yan is a former champion in the division himself, and a contest between these two would be a rematch of their 2023 contest.
When he beat Yan previously, the 34-year-old was left unsure of how he would beat the Russian fighter, but explained that when he was pushed during the build-up, he decided to ‘teach him a lesson’.
Dvalishvili won their bout by a unanimous decision, managing 11 successful takedowns to secure victory.
Merab Dvalishvili explains what he would do to Umar Nurmagomedov if they had their UFC rematch
Another rematch that fans would be interested to see is the second clash between Umar Nurmagomedov and the champion.
It was a fairly close contest on the scorecards, but Merab is looking to set the record straight with a better performance than their January scrap.
He continued in the interview: “If he deserves the title fight again, if we fought again, I will destroy him.
“This time, I will beat the s- – – out of him. I won, so now I can talk about this.
“I was injured, my back was killing me, and then I had an infection in my leg, and that was a very stressful training camp.”
Nurmagomedov has not fought since their clash, with his last win in 2024 coming against the next title contender, Sandhagen, via a five-round decision.