Henry Cejudo has pulled out of his scheduled bout against Merab Dvalishvili at RAF 08 in Philadelphia due to injury. The fight was slated to be the main event for tonight's card. Following Cejudo's withdrawal, Arman Tsarukyan versus Urijah Faber has been elevated to the new main event. The specific nature of Cejudo's injury was not disclosed in the announcement. No timeline for Cejudo's potential return or rescheduling of the Dvalishvili matchup was mentioned.
Henry Cejudo has been forced out of his bantamweight showdown with Merab Dvalishvili at RAF 08 in Philadelphia, pulling from what had been scheduled as the night's main event due to an undisclosed injury.
Cejudo, known as "Triple C," holds a 16-6 record and sits at number nine in the bantamweight rankings at 39 years old. The American fighter out of Fight Ready stands 163 cm tall with a matching 163 cm reach, and brings an orthodox striking style that averages 3.82 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy, along with 1.84 takedowns per 15 minutes.
His would-be opponent, Merab Dvalishvili, enters as the number-one ranked bantamweight and the number-two pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The 35-year-old Georgian, training out of Serra-Longo Fight Team, carries a 21-5 record and is one of the division's most relentless pressers, averaging a remarkable 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes and 4.33 significant strikes per minute. With Cejudo's exit, Dvalishvili has no opponent for the evening.
To fill the main event slot, the promotion has elevated Arman Tsarukyan versus Urijah Faber to headline the card. Faber, "The California Kid," is 47 years old and brings a 35-11 record, standing 168 cm with a 170 cm reach. The Team Alpha Male veteran averages 2.65 significant strikes per minute and 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
No details regarding the nature of Cejudo's injury were disclosed, and no rescheduled date for a Cejudo-Dvalishvili matchup has been announced.
Why it matters
- Dvalishvili, the top-ranked bantamweight, loses a high-profile fight that could have positioned him for a title shot.
- Cejudo's ranking and future in the division remain uncertain with no return timeline given.
- The Tsarukyan-Faber matchup now carries the added weight of headlining the Philadelphia card on short notice.
