Henry Cejudo dropped a bombshell in the wrestling world, securing a stunning 36-second pinfall victory over longtime rival Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of RAF 12 on Saturday night. Thirty-six seconds. That’s all it took for the Olympic champ to flip the script.
Revenge Was Sweet After Two Brutal Losses
You gotta understand the history here. These two aren’t new to throwing down. Cejudo and Dvalishvili, both UFC legends, have been rivals for a minute. Cejudo caught a tough L at UFC 298 in 2024, a dominant unanimous decision loss to Dvalishvili that had to sting. And it wasn’t just the Octagon where Merab had his number. Last month, in their first freestyle wrestling match at RAF Georgia, Cejudo was up 8-0! EIGHT-ZERO! And Dvalishvili still stormed back for an 11-8 victory. Talk about a gut punch. So when they stepped onto the mat at RAF 12, everyone knew Cejudo wasn’t just there to compete. He was there for payback.
The Olympic Champ Showed Up To Dominate
This time around, though? Zero doubt. The Olympic gold medalist didn’t waste a single second. Literally. He scored a quick takedown, then boom! Swiftly pinned Merab’s shoulders to the mat. Thirty-six seconds, people! That’s it. Cejudo wasn’t messing around. After the win, he told Damon Martin of MMA Fighting that Merab is “a machine,” recognizing the beast he was up against. Cejudo admitted he’d been fighting for 13 years on his feet, and he took the “L” from Dvalishvili. But he knew Merab wasn’t “necessarily scrambling” in wrestling like in MMA, and he capitalized. He got the pin, and it was glorious.
But don’t think for a second Cejudo is done talking. After that epic pin, he immediately set his sights on another longtime UFC veteran, yelling, “Cody Garbrandt, you’re next b—h!” Talk about calling your shot! Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili isn’t slowing down either. He’s got a massive trilogy fight against UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan at UFC 333 on October 24. Even with that huge matchup looming, Merab is still down for another round with Cejudo on the wrestling mat. “Absolutely. I love challenges,” Dvalishvili stated. He admitted Cejudo is an Olympic champion “for a reason” and that he got beat today. But he’s ready for that wrestling trilogy. And you know what? So are we. Bring on the rubber match, because this rivalry is far from over!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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