Henry Cejudo believes Merab Dvalishvili could become the bantamweight GOAT and the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter if he defeats Cory Sandhagen, though he doubts Dvalishvili can overcome Sandhagen’s diverse skill set.
Henry Cejudo believes Merab Dvalishvili could become the bantamweight GOAT—if he overcomes his next title challenge.
Dvalishvili recently secured his second title defense and 13th consecutive win with a dominant submission over Sean O’Malley at UFC 316. His impressive résumé now arguably places him above legends like Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw in the 135-pound division.
On his Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cejudo suggested Dvalishvili might be the current No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. “If he’s more active than all these other fighters, it’s not fair to not say he’s pound-for-pound [No. 1],” Cejudo stated. He compared Dvalishvili’s potential dominance to Kamaru Usman’s past achievements.
Despite Dvalishvili’s greatness, Cejudo cautioned that he could lose his title in the next defense. After his victory, Dvalishvili called out Cory Sandhagen, who was present at UFC 316. Sandhagen, a fresh opponent, recently defeated Deiveson Figueiredo.
Cejudo emphasized, “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. One hundred percent.” Yet, Cejudo expressed doubts about Dvalishvili’s chances against Sandhagen.
He noted Sandhagen’s strengths: “Cory Sandhagen brings a lot more thump than Sean O’Malley and is a bigger submission threat.” Sandhagen’s ability to recover and his dangerous striking make him a formidable challenge.
Cejudo added, “The person to potentially get the job done with a guy like Merab—it is Cory Sandhagen.” If Dvalishvili triumphs over Sandhagen, his legend will grow even further.
In Cejudo’s view, Dvalishvili’s achievements already compare to pound-for-pound greats like Jon Jones and Islam Makhachev. “If Merab gets that thing done, he not only deserves pound-for-pound, but he’s the Fighter of the Year for 2025,” Cejudo concluded.