Dvalishvili Books Moraes Rematch For RAF Abu Dhabi
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Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will meet Marlon Moraes in a wrestling match at RAF Abu Dhabi on Nov. 14, the promotion announced Wednesday.
The bout marks a rematch of their UFC 266 encounter in September 2021, when Dvalishvili survived an early scare to knock Moraes out in the second round, as MMA Fighting first reported. Dvalishvili went on to capture the UFC title in 2024 and defended it three times before losing to Petr Yan at UFC 323. He dropped a trilogy bout to Yan most recently at UFC 333.
🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to RAF Abu Dhabi on Ticketmaster →
Dvalishvili's RAF Record And Moraes' Return
Nov. 14 will be Dvalishvili's fourth RAF appearance. He beat former UFC champions Frankie Edgar and Henry Cejudo before Cejudo pinned him in a rematch this past August. Moraes, now 38 and reportedly working as a police officer in South Florida per MMA Mania, makes his RAF debut. The former World Series of Fighting champion retired from MMA in 2023 but returned in August with a decision win over Maximiliano Perez at a regional show in Sao Paulo.
RAF Abu Dhabi is headlined by Khamzat Chimaev against Colby Covington in a cruiserweight crossover title fight. Arman Tsarukyan wrestles Neiman Gracie in the co-main event.
Reported via:
- MMA Fighting — Merab Dvalishvili vs. Marlon Moraes set for RAF Abu Dhabi
- MMA Mania — Merab Dvalishvili books Marlon Moraes rematch for RAF Abu Dhabi on Nov. 14
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