Henry Cejudo lost in dramatic fashion when he wrestled Merab Dvalishvili for the first time, but he more than made up for it with his performance at RAF 12 on Saturday.
After scoring a quick takedown to open the match, Cejudo wasted no time seizing on the opening with Dvalishvili’s shoulders on the mat. Cejudo quickly pinned Dvalishvili, and the referee ended the match at just 36 seconds into the opening period.
By all accounts, Cejudo should have earned a dominant victory in the first match after
he went up 8-0 in the opening period but the former two-division UFC champion just ran out of gas and Dvalishvili completely took over to storm back and pick up the win. He had no such luck on Saturday at RAF 12.
“When I’m in shape, and I think Izzy [Martinez] said it, we were on the phone one time and [he said] ‘when Henry’s in shape, no one will beat him… this kid is good,’” Cejudo said at the RAF 12 post-event press conference. “I took that to heart.
“I went out to Amsterdam, N.Y. in upstate New York, and I just dedicated myself for a whole month and a half. After getting beat up by Merab in Georgia. I’ve just got to stay disciplined and dedicated.”
As much as it stung to lose, Cejudo admits he has no one to blame but himself for how the first match against Dvalishvili ended so he needed to make a statement with his performance on Saturday.
Cejudo also confessed that despite winning an Olympic gold medal in wrestling in 2008, he hadn’t been dedicated to that sport for quite some time as he built a legacy in the UFC. He had to return to his roots if he really wanted to show what was possible when he stepped on the wrestling mats.
“I’ve been doing this for so long. I’m not surprised that I actually lost to Merab,” Cejudo said. “For 13 years, I’ve been here [doing MMA], on my feet doing X, Y and Z. And if the dude has a better gas tank that me and knows how to push the pace, he’ll beat anybody. Particularly if you’re not in it and wrestling.
“I’ve been wrestling since I was a kid but that doesn’t mean anything. It’s humbling but I’m excited for the trilogy.”
After the rematch ended, Dvalishvili said he was also open for a trilogy but his focus for now is getting ready for his third fight against Petr Yan, which is set for the UFC 333 co-main event in October as he seek to regain the bantamweight title.
As for Cejudo, he’s crossing over to yet another sport for his next fight as he takes on Deen the Great in a boxing match in Misfits Boxing.
