With Merab Dvalishvili successfully defending his bantamweight crown against Sean O’Malley at UFC 316, the 135 lbs division is nearing full closure, except for a few key matchups. One of those is none other than Cory Sandhagen. Aside from Song Yadong, Sandhagen remains the only top-five contender yet to share the Octagon with ‘The Machine.’ But that could soon change. Dvalishvili has openly stated that Sandhagen is next in line, and as the potential clash with the champ draws closer to fruition, ‘Sandman’ has issued an encouraging update on both his health and training.

If he had his way, Sandhagen would have fought Dvalishvili at UFC 311. However, Umar Nurmagomedov beat him to the January PPV spot. Still, that setback didn’t stop him from chasing gold. Following his impressive victory over former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, the ‘Sandman’ now has his sights firmly set on the title.

While the promotion has yet to comment on the fight, analysts and Team Merab alike are viewing Sandhagen as the next in line. Amidst all the chaos, ‘Sandman’ has stepped forward to drop his high-tech training montage. Taking to his Instagram handle, Sandhagen uploaded a video in collaboration with Aries Tech. “I had talks with the doctors about my results with the brain scan. He showed me a bunch of graphs on what’s happening with my brain after having the cellphone on my head all night,” said Sandhagen.

He further added, “There was a significant difference, specifically in my nervous system or something. The graphs they were showing definitely looked majorly different. He showed me that my response time and ability to react were much faster when I had the Aries Tech on. I don’t know if it’s because of the product, or because I’ve heard people talking about it, or maybe I’m just kind of inclined to try to be as healthy as possible—whatever it is, I’ve always been really big on the EMF thing. I have the Aries tag everywhere in my house. It just kind of feels good knowing it’s there.”

Now, you might be wondering what Aries Tech is and what it does.

Well, the sole purpose of that entity is to mitigate the effects of EMF radiation for individuals, families, and communities using proven, science-backed devices. They have a number of products within their inventory, ranging from keychains to phone covers to other stuff that have their state-of-the-art tech to lessen the radiation.

Well, for Sandhagen, this tech might help him in his fights: “I definitely see it as a way to optimize my performance. I’m in on that. I’m going to take that information and be confident.” But is it enough to protect him from ‘The Machine?’

Team Merab Dvalishvili admits Cory Sandhagen might be a tough nut to crack

Just like Sean O’Malley, Cory Sandhagen is primarily a striker, but the key difference is that the ‘Sandman’ understands wrestling. His battle against Umar Nurmagomedov showed us that he has what it takes to slow down ‘The Machine.’ But can he apply that same strategy against the champ? That’s the big question.

While speaking with Submission Radio, Dvalishvili’s coach admitted that Sandhagen might be difficult to crack. “It’ll be a fun fight, but… Merab’s going to come out ahead on that one. I feel like we’ve kind of fought that style before. He is a tough guy. He’s tricky. But like I said, I know Merab, and I know what he can do, and I know what we’re going to do.”

With a career record of 18 victories and 5 defeats, Cory Sandhagen currently holds the 4th spot in the UFC bantamweight rankings, just below Petr Yan. However, he arguably has a better shot at the title, considering he has yet to face ‘The Machine.’ Now, all that remains is the promotion’s approval.