Georgian fighter Merab Dvalishvili entered UFC on ESPN 23 hoping to extend his hot streak and earn a sixth straight win. Opponent Cody Stamann looked to bounce back from a July loss to Jimmie Rivera and showcase a well-rounded mixed martial arts attack that could derail the tireless wrestling grind of his higher-ranked foe. In the end, the beat goes on and Dvalishvili continued his win streak.
The opening minute was a cautious one. However, the lull was broken by the surprisingly fast hands shown by Dwalishvili. as he landed several thudding uppercuts on Stamann. A caught kick led to a takedown, but the D-I wrestler Stamann fought it off and got it back to standing. Both went for takedowns that did not deliver results. Throughout the round, most of the points scored for both were on the feet, and “The Machine” at times led that dance with solid accuracy and high output.
In the first two minutes of the second round, both men scored takedowns, and their talented opponents defended and returned things to standing. Yet, Dvalishvili showed that endless gas tank and continued landing takedowns even when his opponent would fend them off and get things back up. The striking battle was often even with both getting their licks in, but four different takedowns in one round by the twelfth ranked bantamweight made it one in his favor.
Output, output, output was the name of the game for Dvalishvili in the third. Yet the final frame was still very competitive and action-packed. However, “The Spartan” was very game and unwilling to give an inch to his tireless opponent. But even the best of bantamweights would have trouble with such an absurd pace that includes this much wrestling. Nonetheless, it bout was a sure fire fight of the night contender between two talented top-15 135-pound fighters.
Dvalishvili got the nod via unanimous decision and showed his striking continues to come along and he is not just a threat on the mat. The 30-year-old continues to evolve and is a serious handful for any fighter in the division’s top-10. Stamann moves to 2-3-1 in his last six and has lost consecutive fights for the first time in his 10-year career.
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