Henry Cejudo has pulled out of his scheduled bout against Merab Dvalishvili, which was set to headline RAF 08 in Philadelphia tonight. The withdrawal is due to an injury sustained by Cejudo. As a result of this cancellation, the main event has been changed to a matchup between Arman Tsarukyan and Urijah Faber. This represents a significant reshuffling of the card on short notice. No details were provided regarding the nature or severity of Cejudo's injury.
Henry Cejudo has been forced out of his scheduled bantamweight headliner against Merab Dvalishvili at RAF 08 in Philadelphia on April 18, citing an injury that has rendered him unable to compete. No details about the nature or severity of the injury have been disclosed. With the original main event off the table, the card has been reshuffled on short notice, and Arman Tsarukyan versus Urijah Faber has been elevated to headline the show.
Cejudo, 39, carries a 16-6 record and currently sits ranked ninth in the bantamweight division. The American fighter out of Fight Ready lands 3.82 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy and averages 1.84 takedowns per 15 minutes, giving him a well-rounded profile on paper. His withdrawal denies him what would have been a high-stakes opportunity near the top of the division.
His original opponent, Merab Dvalishvili, stands as the top-ranked bantamweight contender in the world and is ranked second pound for pound. The 35-year-old Georgian representing Serra-Longo Fight Team holds a 21-5 record and is one of the most relentless wrestlers in the sport, averaging a remarkable 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes to go along with 4.33 significant strikes landed per minute.
Urijah Faber, the 47-year-old veteran known as The California Kid, now steps into the main event slot. Faber, who trains out of Team Alpha Male and carries a 35-11 record, brings a 67-inch reach and averages 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, reflecting the grappling threat he has always represented throughout his career.
Why it matters
- Cejudo's withdrawal removes a ranked bantamweight contender from a meaningful divisional bout at short notice
- Dvalishvili, the number-one contender, is left without an opponent and his path forward must now be reassessed
- The replacement main event significantly alters the competitive weight of the card for Philadelphia fans
