If Aljamain Sterling leaves 135 pounds, Merab Dvalishvili thinks Cory Sandhagen makes sense for title fight

BOSTON – Merab Dvalishvili thinks outside of himself, Cory Sandhagen is the most deserving title challenger.

With champion Aljamain Sterling ruling the bantamweight division, top contender Dvalishvili has put his title aspirations aside. But after Sterling hinted at a possible move up to featherweight after defending his title against Sean O’Malley in Saturday’s UFC 292 headliner, Dvalishvili could be get a shot at gold soon.

If he could pick, Dvalishvili (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) says Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) should be the second half of the vacant title fight.

“If Aljo moves up and he vacates the belt, I think I’m No. 1,” Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie. “Cory’s coming from a winning streak. He beat tough, top guys last three wins. I think we should fight (for the) title. Henry (Cejudo) is just coming off the loss, and there is no one else right now deserves it more than us.”

Sandhagen received plenty of criticism for his heavy grapple approach in his win against Rob Font at UFC on ESPN 50. Sandhagen was a perfect 7 of 7 in his takedown attempts, and strong grappler Dvalishvili thinks it’s ludicrous that Sandhagen took heat for such a dominant performance..

“I said, ‘Listen bro, don’t listen to these crazy people online,’” Dvalishvili said. “‘You did great. You did what you were supposed to do. You stopped Rob Font and you won in a dominant way. You outgrappled him. Enjoy your victory and be happy.’ I told Cory Sandhagen next fight, you should only fight for the title.”

Whether Sterling decides to leave bantamweight or not, Dvalishvili sees Sandhagen as a logical next opponent. Both fighters are currently sidelined after undergoing surgery.

“If Aljo stays at 135, Cory is next,” Dvalishvili said. “But if Aljo moves up, Cory is next, but I’m next, too. I think that’s the fight. If Cory needs time, I can wait for him. But if they give me a fight with Cory, I will fight whenever.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.