Henry Cejudo got his revenge on Merab Dvalishvili in freestyle wrestling this past Saturday, and he’s already pushing for a third meeting between the two.
Cejudo entered Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for a RAF 12 rematch with former UFC bantamweight champion Dvalishvili, looking to bounce back from their first encounter, where he built an 8-0 lead before gassing out and letting “The Machine” storm back for an 11-8 win.
This time, the result was decisive from the start, with Cejudo pinning Dvalishvili in just 36 seconds.
Despite the dominant performance, Cejudo made clear at the RAF 12 post-fight press conference that he’s not done with the rivalry:
I’ve been wrestling since I was a kid, but that doesn’t mean anything.
It’s humbling, but I’m excited for the trilogy.
Cejudo credited the turnaround to a renewed focus on conditioning after the first loss:
When I’m in shape, and I think Izzy [Martinez] said it, we were on the phone one time and [he said] ‘when Henry’s in shape, no one will beat him… this kid is good.
I took that to heart. I went out to Amsterdam, N.Y. in upstate New York, and I just dedicated myself for a whole month and a half.
After getting beat up by Merab in Georgia. I’ve just got to stay disciplined and dedicated.
HENRY GETS THE PIN 🤯
Watch on @foxnation pic.twitter.com/93QHAbXwwR
— Real American Freestyle (@RAFWrestlingUSA) August 23, 2026
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