Cejudo and Dvalishvili meet for third time as RAF 12 main event in Cleveland

Henry Cejudo and Merab Dvalishvili will meet for a third time when they headline RAF 12 on August 22 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, with the Real American Freestyle lightweight crossover championship at stake. The bout replaces the previously announced Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad main event, which has been shifted to RAF 13 on September 19 at Watsco Center in Miami.

The rivalry between the two former UFC champions spans disciplines. Their most recent encounter came on the wrestling mats at RAF Georgia on July 11 in Tbilisi, where Cejudo built an 8-0 lead before Dvalishvili rallied in front of his home crowd to claim the win. That result left Dvalishvili unbeaten at 2-0 under the RAF banner, while Cejudo has split his two appearances — having defeated Urijah Faber in his debut.

Their first meeting came at UFC 298, where Dvalishvili earned a unanimous decision victory, thoroughly outwrestling the former two-division champion. Cejudo, an Olympic gold medallist in freestyle wrestling, will be looking to reverse that outcome when the pair square off in Cleveland.

The addition of Cejudo-Dvalishvili 3 gives RAF 12 a headline act with a genuine competitive history behind it, blending the crossover appeal of two fighters whose careers have intersected in both the UFC cage and on the wrestling mat.