Merab Dvalishvili rewrote the history books at UFC 320. With his dominant win over Cory Sandhagen, the Georgian bantamweight champion became the first fighter in UFC history to reach 100 career takedowns, cementing his status as one of the sport’s most relentless grapplers. The feat is more than just a personal accomplishment; it elevates him above legends in the conversation of grappling mastery inside the Octagon.

For perspective, Georges St-Pierre, widely recognized as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, has 90 career takedowns, while Khabib Nurmagomedov still holds the record for the most takedowns in a single fight, 21 against Abel Trujillo at UFC 160. However, Dvalishvili’s performance at UFC 320 included 20 takedowns in a single championship fight, setting a new standard for what a bantamweight champion can achieve in a title fight.

Although Sandhagen managed to avoid some early takedowns and struck solid counters in the opening round, Dvalishvili’s relentless pressure eventually wore him down. By the second round, the champion had started stringing together multiple takedowns every exchange, forcing Sandhagen to fight from a disadvantageous position while ‘The Machine’ dominated the pace and space of the Octagon.

Throughout the middle rounds, Merab Dvalishvili maintained relentless pressure. He regularly returned to the clinch, performed perfect double-leg takedowns, and kept complete control of the mat. By the third round, the Georgian’s grappling superiority was clear, as he racked up the majority of his 20 takedowns, leaving Sandhagen struggling to reset or mount significant offense.

Dvalishvili’s journey to this milestone has been incredible. Since taking the bantamweight title from Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, he has made several successful defenses, each showcasing the relentless pace and superior grappling that have been his trademarks. The new takedown milestone represents both longevity and supremacy, since few fighters achieve such consistency while competing at the championship level.

With this unprecedented accomplishment, ‘The Machine’ has increased the distance between himself and past takedown masters. His name now sits alongside GSP and Khabib, not only as a champion but also as a symbol of grappling prowess in UFC history. The 100-takedown mark is more than just a number; it signifies that Dvalishvili’s reign at bantamweight has reached legendary territory. However, it is worth noting that right before this fight, he wasn’t even considered the best UFC fighter by Cory Sandhagen.

Cory Sandhagen chooses Ilia Topuria over Merab Dvalishvili

Before stepping into the Octagon at UFC 320, Cory Sandhagen had made it clear that he didn’t consider Merab Dvalishvili the best fighter in the UFC. Despite Dvalishvili’s 13-fight winning streak and domination in the bantamweight division, ‘Sandman’ saw the Georgian champion as a formidable opponent but not the ultimate standard of MMA perfection.

During fight week, Sandhagen participated in a lighthearted “The Best” game with TNT Sports, where he was asked to select the greatest fighters in various categories. When it came to identifying the best fighter in the UFC at the time, he ignored Dvalishvili completely. His choice was Ilia Topuria, coming off a two-division championship win and a highlight-reel knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, which sent him to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings.

For Sandhagen, recent momentum, multi-division success, and high-profile finishes outweighed even the most consistent performances, framing his mindset going into the co-main event. And now, it seems like it surely backfired as ‘The Machine’ didn’t just defeat him, he demolished him in front of 19,081 fans in attendance.