Henry Cejudo is taking a serious mindset into his RAF08 headliner vs. Merab Dvalishvili.
After his second MMA retirement in December, 2008 Olympic gold medalist Cejudo (16-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) returned to the wrestling mat for the first time in more than a decade this past Saturday at RAF06 in Arizona and defeated UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber by tech fall.
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Shortly after the conclusion of the match, Cejudo called out former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. “The Machine” promptly agreed, and soon after, the pair were announced to meet in the April 18 main event at Liacouras Center in Philadelphia (FOX Nation).
Dvalishvili earned a unanimous decision victory over Cejudo at UFC 298 in February 2024. Cejudo has revealed he wasn’t at his physical best for that contest, and the result digs at him. It might not be an MMA fight, but Cejudo looks forward to getting a silver of bragging rights over his former foe.
“Of course (it’s) revenge,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie. “F*ck the fun. I’m here to get my W back. He picked me up, saved me from the fire, and I’m looking to do the same thing to him come April 18. Plus, I like Merab. He’s a showman. He gets it. The simple fact is when they said, ‘We’re signing Merab.’ I’m like, ‘Give him to me.’
“I always wanted to fight him clean slate, being healthy and in my prime. Now I’m going to get a chance to kind of grapple and do whatever. He’s tough. I’m not taking Merab lightly. I know he’s not taking me lightly, so it’s time to square off.”
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Cejudo thinks that, win or lose, Dvalishvili will benefit from competition with him under RAF rules. Dvalishvili is waiting for his trilogy fight with 135-pound champ Petr Yan after losing the belt in December, and with no fight date set, Cejudo thinks it’s a smart move to sharpen his game.
“I think he’s doing it right,” Cejudo said. “Petr’s out for some time from what I’ve heard, until late summer. I think Merab is doing the right thing, wrestling and just focusing on that one base. Because he’s not going to beat him with the striking. He’s going to beat him with the wrestling. I told him, ‘Hey man, you’re doing the right thing. Especially competing with me.’ Because he knows he’s going to have to be ready for that. But there’s one thing he does have, and it’s that f*cking cardio, and I felt it.”
Cejudo said he thought his time competing was over after his loss to Payton Talbott at UFC 323. At 39, he has dedicated more than half his life to combat sports. His enthusiasm for his wrestling roots has flourished in seeing the impact of Real American Freestyle, and he hopes to continue to participate as it grows.
“There’s a lot of good things coming with RAF,” Cejudo said. “A lot of wrestlers, a lot more fighters trying to get into it and compete and wrestle and give back to the sport.”
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To hear more from Cejudo, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Henry Cejudo seeks ‘revenge’ on Merab Dvalishvili at RAF08
