At UFC 316, Merab Dvalishvili once again proved why he’s among the best in the game. And guess what? He had a few words for his potential next challenger, too. Curious what ‘The Machine’ told Cory Sandhagen backstage after retaining his bantamweight title? Stick around—you’re tuned in to another episode of MMA Roundup, where we bring you the hottest headlines in bite-sized form.

After the discussion about Dvalishvili and Sandhagen, we will move forward to a retirement news from a former UFC veteran, and finally, we will stop our Roundup train by discussing a top fighter, who just entered the top 10 of the heavyweight division after UFC 316. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.

Merab Dvalishvili narrates what he uttered to Cory Sandhagen backstage

‘The Machine’ not only submitted Sean O’Malley but became the first person to finish the former bantamweight champion at UFC 316. After the victory, Dvalishvili celebrated in his own style as he jumped out of the cage to meet Dana White and Donald Trump. So, what’s next for the undisputed bantamweight champion? His next challenge is shaping up to be Cory Sandhagen — and he knows it. Backstage at UFC 316, The Machine had a brief but telling exchange with Sandhagen. But what exactly did Merab Dvalishvili say to his potential next opponent?

While having a conversation with Ariel Helwani, the bantamweight champion revealed that he was just appreciating Sandhagen’s comedic side, “I tell him I like his jokes lately. You know, he makes a couple of skits on social media, and before he was very serious. Now, I like his jokes. Aljo and I were actually talking about it. Aljo was mentioning how funny he’s getting, which is good, you know? I’m sure you guys saw it.”

‘The Machine’ further hinted at his next opponent, almost confirming that Cory Sandhagen will be the one, “I also told him he’s the most deserving contender today, especially since we never fought each other.” With the confirmation from the champ about his next opponent, we will move forward to a retirement tale.

Chris Wade hangs up his gloves after a decade in combat sports

With a career record of 23 victories and 10 defeats, former UFC and PFL fighter Chris Wade has officially announced his retirement. Taking to his Facebook page, ‘The Long Island Killer’ shared a heartfelt message, expressing his decision to step away from the fight game for good after dedicating 15 years to the sport.

“There aren’t many things in life harder than walking away from something you love,” Wade wrote. “Something that became your identity, that provided adulation, dopamine, a sense of purpose. It’s even a little tougher when you feel you are still very capable of being successful at the highest levels of the sport.”

He further added, “I am making this post for all of my supporters who continue to nicely ask when my next fight will be. For a while, my ego wouldn’t let me detach myself from the possibility of getting back in the cage, but every day that passes, I am more at peace with the 13-year journey within the highest levels of Professional MMA.”

Now 37, Wade hasn’t stepped into the cage since losing a close-call split decision battle against Gabriel Braga back in August 2023. Well, he was slated to return to the Octagon in November that year, but the fight was called off as he failed to make weight. His UFC run spanned from 2014-2017, where he had a record of 5 victories and 2 defeats. Well, now that we know about his retirement, let us move on to the last segment of the day.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta cements himself in the UFC heavyweight rankings

UFC 316 certainly changed the lives of many fighters. From Merab Dvalishvili to Kayla Harrison, the event altered the career trajectories of numerous athletes, including a new entrant to the heavyweight rankings, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, who defeated the formidable Sergei Spivac to climb the heavyweight ladder, even surpassing the likes of Derrick Lewis.

According to MMA content creator John Morgan, the promotion has rewarded Waldo Cortes-Acosta by moving him up three spots in the UFC heavyweight rankings to No. 8, just ahead of Sergei Spivac. His decision victory over the Russian heavyweight certainly helped him climb the UFC ladder, but is he truly ready to compete against the division’s top 10? Only time will tell.