Dvalishvili dominates Edgar at RAF 9, issues challenge to Cejudo

Merab Dvalishvili secured a commanding victory over UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar at Real Action Fighting (RAF) 9, winning via technical superiority with a 12-1 scoreline. Despite lacking a formal wrestling background, Dvalishvili executed a series of effective takedowns to dismantle Edgar’s defence, ultimately establishing dominance in the mixed martial arts promotion.

The bout began with a slow start for Dvalishvili, who suffered an early point deduction after a referee issued a warning for a lack of activity following a thwarted takedown attempt. Edgar maintained strong defensive pressure through the first period, but Dvalishvili gradually shifted the momentum by scoring points through pushouts and securing a single-leg takedown that added two points to his tally.

A head clash in the final period resulted in a nose injury for Dvalishvili, who had recently returned from a break in his training session. Despite the injury, Dvalishvili capitalised on the restart by executing a slick trip that scored four points, followed by additional turns and body locks that extended his lead to more than 10 points, triggering the technical superiority rule.

Following the victory, Dvalishvili directed his attention toward former rival Henry Cejudo, citing a previous scheduling dispute where Cejudo reportedly "disappeared" when the two were set to meet for Dvalishvili’s RAF debut. Dvalishvili publicly challenged Cejudo, stating, "He disappeared when I was ready... Henry, I hope you have big balls to go wrestling with me."

Dvalishvili emphasised his desire to remain active within the RAF circuit while awaiting the scheduling of a trilogy bout with reigning UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan. He expressed a willingness to challenge any opponent to stay busy and improve, noting that the competitive environment of RAF serves as a strong motivator for his continued development.