Henry Cejudo high on UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili but thinks loss to Cory Sandhagen coming
Henry Cejudo high on UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili but thinks loss to Cory Sandhagen coming
Henry Cejudo sees Cory Sandhagen as the one to dethrone UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili.
Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) notched his second title defense when he submitted Sean O'Malley in Saturday's UFC 316 main event. He has already been touted by the likes of Jon Anik as the greatest bantamweight of all time.
Cejudo thinks Dvalishvili can reach that territory if he can get past Sandhagen (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC), who is expected to be next in line.
"If he beats Cory Sandhagen in this fight, yes, I'm going to put him at pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world," Cejudo said of Dvalishvili on his "Pound 4 Pound" podcast with Kamaru Usman. "One hundred percent."
However, Cejudo isn't sure if Dvalishvili is capable of beating Sandhagen, who's coming off a stoppage win over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC on ESPN 67 last month.
"But that being said, check this out: As much as I complimented Merab, I don't think he beats Cory Sandhagen," Cejudo said. "I've been really good with my picks in the bantamweight division. The only reason why I feel the person that could give, that's the most problematic for a guy like Merab Dvalishvili, it is Cory Sandhagen because Cory Sandhagen brings a lot more thump than a guy like Sean O'Malley, and he is a submission threat a lot more than O'Malley. And he's big. The other thing, too, Cory Sandhagen can get up to his feet.
"He's shown that against a guy like Umar Nurmagomedov. He throws knees up the middle, the one that he caught Frankie Edgar with, the dude is freaking dangerous all around. And I do believe or I have a feeling that the person to potentially get the job done with a guy like Merab – and again, I've got to compliment Merab. You have to, he's the bantamweight GOAT, but if there's a guy in that division right now with all the tools and the fact that he can get up, and he's young, and he's younger than him, it is Cory Sandhagen."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jon Jones retires, making Tom Aspinall new UFC heavyweight champion as drawn-out saga finally ends
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: Jon Jones of the United States of America reacts after his TKO victory against Stipe Miocic of the United States of America in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) The UFC heavyweight title was handed over in a news conference. MMA legend Jon Jones told the UFC he has retired, Dana White said on Saturday after the promotion's card in Baku. Correspondingly,Tom Aspinall is the new UFC champion. This article will be updated with more information.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Video: Mariya Agapova kisses Jessica Eye on the mouth during BKFC faceoff
Two former UFC fighters shared a kiss during BKFC 76 pre-fight faceoffs, though one was not happy. While fighters occasionally get physical during their final opportunity to mean-mug their opponent, it's not usually in the way Mariya Agapova did it Friday when she kissed Jessica Eye on the mouth. Advertisement Eye was not a consenting party in the lip-locking. She appeared caught off guard by the action and vented some frustration toward Agapova moments later. The maneuver could add an additional layer of heat to Saturday's matchup, which takes place on the main card at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Video: Former UFC fighters unexpectedly kiss during BKFC 76 faceoff
USA Today
35 minutes ago
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 8 results: Khalil Rountree outpoints Jamahal Hill for scorecard sweep
Khalil Rountree is 1-for-1 since fighting Alex Pereira. In the UFC on ABC 8 main event Saturday, Rountree (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) picked apart former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill for 25 minutes to earn a unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45) victory. The bout headlined the promotion's debut event at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku Azerbaijan. Over the course of five rounds, Rountree appeared to be a step ahead of Hill. He used his signature technical kickboxing approach to outpoint and seemingly frustrate Hill. Rountree knocked Hill down multiple times, including twice in Round 3. But Hill was never close to being finished. The frustration was evident post-fight, as Hill confronted Rountree in the cage, seemingly questioning the lack of aggression and action from his opponent. Rountree responded that Hill was difficult to read. Hill seemed shocked on the reading of the official decision, as he lost every round in the judes' eyes, except for one round from one judge. With the victory, Rountree moves to 6-1 in his most recent seven. He bounces back from his title shot loss to Pereira in October. Despite being a heavy underdog, Rountree took the fight to Peireira and found success before he ultimately was finished in Round 4. Hill, 34, moves to 0-3 since he vacated the title in July 2023 due an Achilles tendon injury suffered in a celebrity basketball game. Full UFC Baku results include:
