Former 2-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo finally scored a win over rival, former UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili, defeating him in the Real American Freestyle main event over the weekend in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dvalishvili first defeated Cejudo by decision at UFC 298 in 2024, before beating him again in freestyle wrestling last month rallying from an 8-0 deficit to win 11-8.
Cejudo finally got his first victory over Dvalishvili in lightning-quick fashion, securing a pin just 36 seconds. The former Olympic gold medalist scored a four-point takedown before trapping Dvalishvili and pressing him to the mat.
“Merab is a machine,” Cejudo said. “I’ve been fighting for 13 years on my feet and I took the ‘L’ from him. I knew that he wasn’t necessarily scrambling… obviously I got the pin.”
Cejudo appeared interested in continuing to compete in the organization, calling for Cody Garbrandt next.
Dvalishvili, meanwhile, said he would be willing to wrestle Cejudo for a third time, however Merab must prepare for another trilogy first, as he will challenge the man who took his bantamweight title from him last December, Petr Yan, in the UFC 333 main event in October.