Henry Cejudo has pulled out of his scheduled bout against Merab Dvalishvili at RAF 08 in Philadelphia due to injury. The fight was set to headline tonight's event but has been canceled. The new main event will feature Arman Tsarukyan versus Urijah Faber as a replacement. Specific details about Cejudo's injury have not been disclosed. The withdrawal represents a significant change to the event's lineup.
Henry Cejudo has been forced out of his bantamweight bout against Merab Dvalishvili at RAF 08 in Philadelphia on April 18, citing an undisclosed injury that has resulted in the fight being pulled from the card entirely.
Cejudo, 39, holds a professional record of 16-6 and is currently ranked ninth in the bantamweight division. The American fighter, who trains out of Fight Ready, stands five-foot-four with a 64-inch reach and had been set to test himself against one of the division's elite challengers. He averages 3.82 significant strikes per minute with a 47 percent striking accuracy, and adds 1.84 takedowns per 15 minutes to his offensive arsenal.
Dvalishvili, the number-one ranked bantamweight and number-two pound-for-pound fighter in the world, now loses what would have been another high-profile showcase. The 35-year-old Georgian, known as The Machine, carries a 21-5 record and is one of the most relentless wrestlers in MMA, averaging an extraordinary 6.4 takedown attempts per 15 minutes. He trains out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team and stands five-foot-six with a 68-inch reach.
With the original main event scrapped, Arman Tsarukyan and Urijah Faber have stepped in to headline the card. Faber, 47, brings a career record of 35-11 and remains one of the sport's most recognizable veterans. The California Kid trains with Team Alpha Male and holds a 67-inch reach, averaging 2.65 significant strikes per minute across his career.
Why it matters
- Dvalishvili loses a significant opportunity to remain active while waiting for a title shot
- Cejudo's path back through the bantamweight rankings takes another setback at age 39
- Tsarukyan vs. Faber is a considerable stylistic and profile shift as a replacement main event
- No timeline has been given for Cejudo's return or a rescheduled matchup with Dvalishvili
