Overview

• Merab Dvalishvili defends the undisputed bantamweight title against Cory Sandhagen in the UFC 320 co-main event on Oct. 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
• Dvalishvili says 90 percent of the fight will be on the feet and that he is targeting a knockout, a notable shift for a champion who holds the UFC takedown record and hasn’t scored a KO in about four years.
• His coach previously indicated the team was not changing its usual approach, and online reaction has questioned whether the striking-first plan will actually materialize.
• Sandhagen shared a recording of UFC executive Hunter Campbell calling to offer the title shot, confirming the booking he had sought after his May TKO of Deiveson Figueiredo.
• Leaning into promotion, Sandhagen explained a self-deprecating ‘loser fan’ character in social skits and has said that, if he wins the belt, he wants U.S.-based rematches with Umar Nurmagomedov and Petr Yan.