While making his regularly scheduled appearance on the “Ray Longo Minute” segment of the Anik and Florian Podcast, which features UFC commentator John Anik alongside his co-host, former UFC title challenger and commentator Kenny Florian, Longo, a legendary MMA coach, discussed the upcoming title bout involving his star pupil.
Longo has guided multiple fighters to championship gold, including Chris Weidman, Matt Serra, Aljamain Sterling, and most recently, Merab Dvalishvili. Merab is set to face bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen in a highly anticipated matchup at UFC 320.
During the podcast, John Anik remarked to Longo, “I think Merab Dvalishvili is the biggest MMA superstar in America among active fighters.” Longo agreed, referencing the champion’s recent training footage with Demetrious Johnson, who is widely considered one of the top three fighters in MMA history. He added, “He’s living the American dream at this point, and he loves fighting.”
Cory Sandhagen enters the bout following a victory over former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. With Merab having cleared out the top contenders in the division, Sandhagen now gets his second shot at UFC gold and presents a unique stylistic challenge for the reigning champion. When asked by John Anik about the Sandhagen matchup, Longo shared his perspective on the matchup.
Ray Longo Acknowledges Cory Sandhagen’s Danger, But Believes Merab’s Relentless Style Will Prevail
“I’ve always been a big Sandhagen fan since day one. I like his attitude, I like his approach to everything. Sandhagen is dangerous, and you know this is his one opportunity.”
Cory Sandhagen has earned a reputation as one of the most lethal strikers in the division, with vicious knockout wins over former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and top contender Marlon Moraes.
Ray Longo followed up by saying, “You obviously can’t go to sleep on a guy like Sandhagen, but I think he’s only got one way to get Merab out of there. He’s got to slow down a freight train in front of him.” With respect to both side, Ray Longo see’s his fighter securing yet another title defense, becoming one step closer to being considered the greatest of this generation.
