Merab Dvalishvili stuns Henry Cejudo with wrestling comeback at RAF Georgia
Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili erased an eight-point deficit to beat Henry Cejudo 11-8 in a wrestling match Saturday at RAF Georgia, according to Sherdog.
Cejudo opened with a dominant gut wrench sequence and built an 8-0 lead in the first period. Dvalishvili clawed back to 8-5 in the second period before finishing the comeback in front of a roaring Georgian crowd.
Dvalishvili's wrestling career follows UFC title run
Dvalishvili beat Cejudo by unanimous decision in their UFC meeting in 2024, then won the bantamweight title in his next fight. He defended the belt three times before dropping it to Petr Yan at UFC 323 last December. Cejudo retired from MMA after losing to Payton Talbott on the same card, his fourth straight defeat.
The former Olympic gold medalist had beaten Urijah Faber in his RAF debut in February. Dvalishvili was coming off a win over Frankie Edgar in his first RAF appearance in May.
Original reporting:
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