I know it is a foregone conclusion that Merab will win here and i don't think i have seen a single person on the Sandhagen side and while i share that sentiment, i will put out there that Cory might be the toughest matchup in the top 5 right now. He is long, awkward and versatile. His takedown defense early against Umar looked great, he strikes in the clinch, he has submissions and while I am pretty confident in Merab, I am not entirely dismissing Cory or his ability to make this ugly.

Merab Dvalishvili

Merab Dvalishvili is a non stop chain wrestler with improved striking and insane cardio. He times his takedowns incredibly well and even if he doesn't it doesn't matter because there's another shot right behind it. He averages an insane almost 6 takedowns per 15 minutes and his last loss was all the back in 2018. His gas tank is insane and his willingness to stick to a gameplan makes sure there are no surprises come fight night. He is coming off the submission win over Sean O'Malley where even as the world champion, we saw the level up.

Cory Sandhagen

Cory Sandhagen is an active striker landing a little more than 5 signfigant strikes per minute with deceiving power and solid technique. He's fluid, he's fast and is very good with combinations and variety. He will throw punches, kicks, elbows, knees and mix up where they land. He's athletic, tough and ties it all out with solid BJJ. Cory is a hard night out for anyone. He is coming off the win over Deiveson Figueredo where despite it ending with an injury, it was clear that Cory was on his way to a win.