Henry Cejudo has withdrawn from his scheduled fight against Merab Dvalishvili at the RAF08 event in Philadelphia due to an injury. The bout was originally set to be tonight's main event. With Cejudo's withdrawal, the new headliner will feature Arman Tsarukyan versus Urijah Faber. The specific nature of Cejudo's injury was not disclosed in the announcement. This represents a significant change to the card for Real American Freestyle's eighth event.
Henry Cejudo has pulled out of his scheduled bantamweight clash with Merab Dvalishvili at Real American Freestyle's eighth event in Philadelphia, with an injury forcing him off what was originally the night's main event.
Cejudo, 39, entered the bout ranked ninth in the bantamweight division carrying a 16-6-0 record. The American wrestler out of Fight Ready lands 3.82 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy and averages 1.84 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a well-rounded threat on both feet and on the mat. The nature of his injury was not disclosed in the announcement.
Dvalishvili, who holds a 21-5-0 record and sits first in the bantamweight rankings with a pound-for-pound ranking of second, now finds himself without an opponent. The Georgian fighter out of Serra-Longo Fight Team is one of MMA's elite grapplers, averaging a remarkable 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a high striking output of 4.33 significant strikes per minute. The 35-year-old remains without a booking following the withdrawal.
Stepping up to headline the card in place of the cancelled bout is a matchup between Arman Tsarukyan and Urijah Faber. Faber, the 47-year-old veteran known as The California Kid, brings a 35-11-0 record and represents Team Alpha Male. Standing five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach, he averages 1.54 takedowns and 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, giving him a reliable ground-based toolkit to complement his striking.
Why it matters
- Dvalishvili loses a high-profile opponent at short notice and his ranking position goes untested at RAF08
- Cejudo's path back toward divisional relevance at bantamweight is now delayed
- Tsarukyan versus Faber inherits the main event slot, shifting the card's competitive dynamic considerably
