Merab Dvalishvili calls out former bantamweight title challenger

Although being one of the strongest weight classes in the sport, the UFC bantamweight division currently has too many strong opponents, including close buddy Merab Dvalishvili, who are all qualified for a shot at Aljamain Sterling's gold.

First, Sean O'Malley defeated Petr Yan to claim the top slot, but many consider the outcome to be a heist, therefore both men might challenge for the title. Due to his recent success in the octagon, a powerful Chito Vera can also assert his right for a crack alongside those two.

According to Dana White, Henry Cejudo will likely get the next opportunity. However, uncertainty still exists around the title fight at 135 pounds because Aljamain Sterling has claimed that he needs time away from the ring.

Merab Dvalishvili has already declared that he will look out for other top contenders and won't contest for the title until his best friend Aljamain Sterling is the champion. But things change with respect to time and might we shall see the Georgian against his pal inside the cage.

In the middle of the bantamweight division's volatility, Merab Dvalishvili has his sights set on a new contender, and much as he did in 2019, the 135er has called out Cory Sandhagen.

The bantamweight title status is ambiguous, therefore the top contenders in the weight division must throw on a strong showing to edge out the competition. 'Sandman' had that goal in mind for his most recent fight. On September 17, the striker dominated the strong Song Yadong, ending the match with a late TKO.

Merab Dvalishvili requested a fight with Cory Sandhagen in a social media post and recalled the time he first approached the #6 bantamweight two years prior.

"I called him out in 2019. He called me out a couple of months ago. This fight makes the most sense. #2 vs. #5. Let's go UFC. Let's make this happen."

Since losing consecutive matches more than four years ago, "The Machine" has never lost in the competition. His first fight with the promotion ended in a tight split decision loss to Frankie Saenz, and he lost the subsequent fight via guillotine choke to Ricky Simon under peculiar cases.

The Georgian's eight-fight winning streak keeps him in position for a title chance, but it's unclear whether the 31-year-old would go after the title while his buddy is in charge.

With a decisive victory over the aforementioned Song Yadong, Cory Sandhagen put an end to his recent poor performance inside the cage. The freakish athlete had previously lost against T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan before the victory.

Let’s see how things turn out for both of the bantamweights. Considering Merab’s wish and Sandhagen's current ranking, the fight does make sense and the UFC might look into this option. What do you think about this match-up? Do let us know in the comments.