Henry Cejudo made quite a statement in his rematch with Merab Dvalishvili in the RAF 12 main event.
After traveling to Georgia for their first wrestling match where Cejudo was up 8-0 before Dvalishvili came storming back to get the win, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist had no interest in allowing the rematch to look anything like the first encounter.
As soon as the match got started, Cejudo shot inside and scored a quick four-point takedown but then he immediately trapped Dvalishvili on the ground and the former
UFC bantamweight champion was struggling to escape. Cejudo was quick to secure the position and he put Dvalishvili’s shoulders to the mat and that was enugh for the referee to score the pinfall victory.
The end came just 36 seconds into the match.
“Merab is a machine,” Cejudo said after his win. “I’ve been fighting for 13 years on my feet and I took the ‘L’ from him. I knew that he wasn’t necessarily scrambling … obviously I got the pin. Cody Garbrandt, you’re next bitch.”
The win crowned Cejudo as the newest crossover champion for RAF and it sounds like he’s ready to defend his title sooner than later after calling out another former UFC champion.
As for Dvalishvili, the night didn’t go his way but now he’ll turn his full attention towards his trilogy against Petr Yan set for the UFC 333 co-main event in October. But he’s definitely open for a third match against Cejudo at some point in the future.
“Absoutely. I love challenges,” Dvalishvili said. “Henry Cejudo called me out and I said yes. He’s an Olympic champion for a reason. He beat me today. Let’s go for a trilogy in wrestling.”
