Down 8-0, Dvalishvili storms back to stun Olympic champion Cejudo at RAF Georgia

Merab Dvalishvili produced one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent wrestling memory on Saturday, overturning an 8-0 deficit to defeat two-time Olympic champion Henry Cejudo 11-8 in the main event of RAF Georgia — only his second freestyle match since joining the RAF roster.

Cejudo dominated the opening period, shooting in quickly for a takedown and immediately converting gut-wrench turns to race into a commanding 7-0 lead. Dvalishvili then conceded another point before finally getting on the board with a takedown of his own, leaving him with a mountain to climb heading into the second period.

The momentum shifted entirely once the match restarted. Cejudo, so sharp and explosive in the first period, visibly slowed, while Dvalishvili attacked with relentless aggression. A single-leg takedown added two more points, and with two minutes remaining, Dvalishvili put Cejudo on his back for a four-point move that gave him the lead for the first time. The Georgian crowd erupted as he followed up with another takedown to go 11-8 ahead, and he reversed a late attempt from Cejudo to seal the win before leaping up to celebrate with the home fans.

“I’m so happy,” Dvalishvili said after the match. “I make my people proud. Thank god I win tonight. Henry’s an Olympic champion. I think next match I can do with him in judo.”

Dvalishvili also used the post-match platform to call out UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan, with whom he is seeking a long-awaited trilogy bout. “Next, you won’t be surprised, I love UFC, I love fighting. Petr Yan, come back bro. What the heck? There’s something wrong with him.”

The victory adds to Dvalishvili’s existing win over Cejudo inside the UFC octagon, making Saturday’s result all the more significant — a combat sports crossover upset that underlines just how far the Georgian’s grappling has developed outside his primary discipline. With the win secured, Dvalishvili’s attention now turns back to MMA and the hope that Yan recovers from injury in time for their trilogy to be booked before the end of 2026.