Rematch! Kinda.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili
is officially set to make his Real American Freestyle (RAF) debut — and he’s not easing into it.Dvalishvili will take on former UFC two-division champion and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo at RAF 08 on Sat., April 18, 2026, inside The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The matchup came together quickly.
Cejudo competed in the
main event of RAF 06 last night (Sat., Feb. 28, 2026), where he dominated UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber, scoring an 11-0 tech fall. Immediately after the win, Cejudo grabbed the microphone and called out Dvalishvili — who just so happened to be sitting in attendance.
Dvalishvili didn’t hesitate. He accepted on the spot, and the promotion wasted little time making it official.
While this won’t be contested inside the Octagon, the two do share history. Dvalishvili defeated Cejudo via unanimous decision at UFC 298 back in 2024, using his trademark wrestling pressure to repeatedly ground the former champ-champ. Now, Cejudo gets the chance to run it back — this time under freestyle wrestling rules, where he boasts Olympic gold credentials.
For Dvalishvili, the bout serves as a high-profile detour while he awaits his expected trilogy clash with Petr Yan, which will probably go down later this summer. A competitive wrestling showcase against Cejudo should keep him sharp.
Before RAF hits Philadelphia, though, the promotion heads to Tampa, Florida, for RAF 07. There, RAF Cruiserweight champion Kyle Dake defends his title against five-time NCAA All-American Parker Keckeisen. Wrestling phenom Bo Bassett also meets two-time Olympic medalist Vladimer Khinchegashvili, while Wyatt Hendrickson battles Trent Hillger for the Unlimited championship.
But make no mistake — RAF 08 just became must-watch.
