UFC 252 results: Merab Dvalishvili extends winning streak with decision over John Dodson

The opening bout of the UFC 252 main card saw rising Georgian bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili unable to hold John Dodson down with his wrestling and grappling, but his striking and clinch control combined with Dodson’s continued issues with volume led to a shutout decision win for the Serra-Longo fighter. It’s five straight victories for Dvalishvili and Dodson is unable to build off of the victory over Nathaniel Wood from February.

There was plenty of feinting and not a whole lot of throwing in the first minute, apart from a straight left to the body by Dvalishvili. Merab shot in for the first takedown of the bout and didn’t complete it but did land plenty of hard knees and kicks to…