UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili paid close attention to the fight between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo.
Former UFC interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen significantly strengthened his claim for a direct shot at the belt with his performance at UFC Des Moines. While Deiveson Figueiredo had some dangerous moments on the ground, Sandhagen successfully navigated them multiple times and increased his pace in the second round.
In the second round, Sandhagen secured a key takedown, achieved top position, and delivered a series of effective ground-and-pound strikes. However, the bout concluded with about a minute left in the round after Figueiredo appeared to suffer a leg injury.
This outcome was a disappointing setback for Figueiredo but a crucial bounce-back victory for Sandhagen, who was coming off a recent loss to Umar Nurmagomedov.
Dvalishvili Responds to Sandhagen`s Callout
Sandhagen is one of the few top contenders in the bantamweight division who has not yet faced either Merab Dvalishvili or Sean O’Malley. Dvalishvili is set to meet O’Malley in a bantamweight title rematch at UFC 316 next month.
Following his win over Figueiredo at UFC Des Moines, Sandhagen called out both Dvalishvili and O’Malley for his next fight and also expressed his willingness to serve as the backup for UFC 316.
In a recent video posted on his X account, Dvalishvili congratulated Sandhagen on his finish at UFC Des Moines.
Dvalishvili responded to Sandhagen, saying, “Good job Cory, let’s go! Congratulations my friend, great job.”
Dvalishvili secured a unanimous decision win over O’Malley at UFC 306 and later defended his belt against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. Now, booked for a rematch with O`Malley at UFC 316, he is looking to deliver a similar result to their first fight.
O’Malley has been inactive since UFC 306, choosing to wait for an immediate rematch against Dvalishvili. Sandhagen`s only previous UFC title opportunity was a short-notice interim title loss to Petr Yan at UFC 267.
Regardless of the winner at UFC 316, Sandhagen is widely considered the most likely next challenger in the bantamweight title picture. Umar Nurmagomedov, who defeated Sandhagen by decision last year, has not been booked for a fight since UFC 311.
Conor McGregor Praises Merab Dvalishvili
Dvalishvili recently received high praise from UFC superstar Conor McGregor on social media. In a recent post on X, McGregor described Dvalishvili as ‘magnificent,’ highlighting the bantamweight champion’s impressive winning streak.
Meanwhile, O’Malley recently trained with a UFC legend in preparation for UFC 316. Footage of O’Malley and former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya training together during a brief meeting in Arizona went viral.
As of now, it remains uncertain whether Sandhagen will serve as the backup fighter for UFC 316 or if the UFC will allow him to rest and avoid another demanding weight cut. Nevertheless, it would not be surprising if Sandhagen is granted the next title shot against the UFC 316 winner.
Rupert Hartwell 
Benedict Kingsley