The latest PPV goes down this weekend and the UFC 320 co-main event sees an intriguing bantamweight clash between the dominant champion, Merab Dvalishvili and the solid all-rounder and perennial contender, Cory Sandhagen.
Form would suggest that the champion will regain his title. He’s gone unbeaten since 2018, enjoying a 13 fight winning run. Last time out, he finished former champion, Sean O’Malley by third round submission. With that being said, Sandhagen is a puzzle that he’s yet to face. Sandhagen is 4-1 in his last five outings and could potentially cause a big upset in the UFC 320 co-main event.
This one is a tough one to predict, so let’s get AI to do it for us.
What We Know so Far
We know what the champion wants to do in the UFC 320 co-main event. He’s going to go out there, look to overwhelm Sandhagen with his pressure, look to take him down and dominate him on the ground. It isn’t a complex game plan, however, it’s a game plan that hasn’t failed him in recent years. Landing an incredible 5.84 takedowns per 15 minutes, Merab is relentless. In his last five fights he’s landed 34 takedowns and attempted 117 (yes, that isn’t a typo).
Sandhagen is a slick boxer with a Taekwondo background. He uses his length, a 2 inch reach and five inch height advantage, to keep opponents at bay and keep them guessing throughout the fight. He uses a range of different strikes to finish opponents, including flying knees and spinning wheel kicks. One of the key strikes for the American will be
AI Predicts the UFC 320 Co-Main Event
Rounds 1-2
Sandhagen will try and use his size, feints and long strikes, jabs, front kicks and oblique kicks in an attempt to keep Merab at bay. He’ll look to use plenty of movement in order not to get pressed up against the fence. The champion will begin to do what he always does and mix in big overhands that lead to takedown attempts. The first few may not be successful, but the inevitable will happen and he’ll get Sandhagen to the ground.
Rounds 3-4
Merab’s pressure begins to pile up as Sandhagen will begin to feel the pace, especially with the constant takedown threat. The champion will look to stand for a little longer with Sandhagen, however, the challenger remains sharp and picks his moments to fire back. Dvalishvili will look to clinch and work for takedowns when he’s being caught by Sandhagen. It may look like Sandhagen catches Merab and hurts him, however, the Georgian will just drop for a takedown.
Round 5
If Sandhagen isn’t significantly ahead, the fight will swing in the favour of Merab. The conditioning and relentless volume from the champion will allow him to take over in the latter rounds. If Merab can sense the submission finish, he’ll go for it, however, he won’t lose position risking it if it isn’t on.
Sandhagen will fight back to his feet for the final minute of the fight and try his best to finish the fight with a range of ambitious strikes. Merab will maintain his distance and likely celebrate early.
Outcome
Merab Dvalishvili will walk out of the UFC 320 co-main event with the belt via unanimous decision. His wrestling and pressure will fatigue Sandhagen both mentally and physically, leading to dominance down the stretch for Merab.
If Sandhagen can set up his knees, however, Merab could be in big trouble. The UFC 320 co-main event is intriguing without a doubt and on Saturday night, all will be revealed.
