“Anytime Anywhere”: Merab Dvalishvili Thrilled With New Bantamweight Opportunity as Friend Aljamain Sterling Holds Title

Cory Sandhagen’s performance at the main event of UFC San Antonio clearly was one of the more dominating ones in his UFC career. Shutting down Marlon Vera completely in the five-rounder, the 30-year-old now finds himself in a rather sweet spot, especially considering his title aspirations.

Following the win, Sandhagen also took the opportunity to call out his possible next opponent in the form of number-one-ranked Merab Dvalishvili, who incidentally was also present in the San Antonio crowd. Along with the Georgian, Bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling too was seen beside him. Following Sandhagen’s callout, Dvalishvili also made a statement in an interview along with a response on his official Twitter account, which ultimately drew multiple reactions from fans.

Merab Dvalishvili responds to Cory Sandhagen’s post-fight call out

The 32-year-old Georgian who is coming off a dominant win against Petr Yan took to social media to express his eagerness for a possible fight against Sandhagen. Exuding confidence, he tweeted, “Let’s go anytime anywhere.”

Prior to this tweet, ‘The Machine’ also had a chance to speak to Megan Olivi about the scenario in the 135 lbs division. Claiming that he was excited for the match-up considering Sandhagen was an elite fighter himself, Dvalishvili said, “I love the fight… I would love to clean the division. I love new challenge. He called me out and I would love to fight him anytime.”

Fans also expressed their sentiments on the same on his Twitter thread; which was originally a response to a clip of him reacting to Sandhagen’s call out.

It certainly was a mixed sort of reaction from fans. While some clearly backed the Georgian, few did want to see him fight other contenders too, with some even claiming Sterling was lucky to have the Georgian as his friend.

Sandhagen shuts down Marlon Vera in the main event of UFC San Antonio

How the bantamweight scenario plays out now is up to one’s guess. But the performance dealt out by ‘The Sandman’ clearly displayed the elite level of contenders currently plying their trade in the division.

And for the 30-year-old, beating a dangerous opponent like Vera in the calculated manner that he did might just be the starting point of yet another title run. Considering the way he approached the fight, relying more on takedowns and his elusive striking, Sandhagen, once again proved that he still belongs in the upper echelons of the 135 lbs division. This means that another win could open up the doors to a title shot in the very near future.

Read More: “What the F***?”: Dana White Reveals His Raw Reaction to Cory Sandhagen’s Decision Win Over Marlon Vera

How do you think a fight between Sandhagen and Dvalishvili will play out? Let us know in the comment section below.

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