John Wood is confident that UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will have no issues against Cory Sandhagen.

UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili stops by "The Ariel Helwani Show" to reflect on his monster win over Sean O'Malley at UFC 316.

Merab Dvalishvili could be in the pound-for-pound mix after a dominant performance at UFC 316. While he may have had to wait a while for his opportunity last year, Dvalishvili is certainly making the most of his chance to build a strong legacy on the bantamweight throne.

Dvalishvili, after winning the title at UFC 306 this past September, outworked Umar Nurmagomedov in his first defense in January. Cory Sandhagen, White said, is next in line for a shot at the belt, but also thinks the champ might wind up in another rematch eventually.

UFC 316 set the foundation for some of the next title fights we'll see in the future, as Merab Dvalishvili beat Sean O'Malley to retain the men's bantamweight title and Kayla Harrison knocked off Julianna Peña to claim the women's bantamweight championship.

After a slightly disappointing 2-3 result for our best bets for UFC 314, our 2025 record sits at 14-9. We'll look to continue our roll on Saturday, with our only rule remaining that all bets must be at odds of -250 or better. Let's take a look at this week's picks.

Dvalishvili, despite English not being his first language, has found a way to connect with fans thanks to his friendly demeanor and his humbleness — not to mention the silly social-media videos he frequently produces, a staple of the lead-up to his capture of O’Malley’s UFC gold last September that returned ahead of their rematch.

UFC 316 goes down Saturday night with two championship fights atop the bill, and MMA Junkie Radio's "Gorgeous" George and "Goze" will host a live-streamed watch-along right here at 8 p.m. ET.