Henry Cejudo withdraws from Merab Dvalishvili bout due to injury at RAF08

Henry Cejudo has been forced off tonight's RAF08 card in Philadelphia, withdrawing from his scheduled bantamweight bout against Merab Dvalishvili due to injury. The nature of the injury was not disclosed. With the original main event scrapped, Arman Tsarukyan and Urijah Faber will now headline the evening.

Cejudo, 39, carries a 16-6 record and is ranked ninth in the bantamweight division. The American wrestler and former champion, who trains out of Fight Ready, brings a compact five-foot-four frame and a 64-inch reach to the cage. He averages 3.82 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy, and his wrestling has historically been a core weapon, with 1.84 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career.

Dvalishvili, 35, stands as the number-one ranked bantamweight and is ranked second pound-for-pound. The Georgian fighter out of Serra-Longo Fight Team holds a 21-5 record and is one of the most relentless grapplers in the sport, averaging a remarkable 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes. He also leads in striking volume at 4.33 significant strikes landed per minute, making him a constant pressure fighter across all phases.

Stepping into the new main event, Urijah Faber brings a storied 35-11 record to the card. The 47-year-old California native and Team Alpha Male veteran averages 2.65 significant strikes per minute and 1.54 takedowns per 15 minutes, with 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes reflecting his well-rounded grappling background.

Why it matters

• Cejudo's withdrawal removes a high-profile bantamweight matchup involving the division's ninth-ranked contender and its top-ranked fighter
• Dvalishvili, ranked second pound-for-pound, loses a significant opportunity for a marquee fight night performance
• The last-minute reshuffle elevates Tsarukyan and Faber into the main event spotlight on short notice