The Real American Freestyle (RAF) Georgia event at the Tbilisi Sports Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia, featured a dramatic main event where Merab Dvalishvili secured an 11-8 victory over Henry Cejudo. This marked the first RAF event held outside the United States and showcased a series of high-stakes matches.
In the highly anticipated main event, Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, initially established a significant 8-0 lead. He achieved this with a high gut-wrench, putting him one takedown away from a technical fall. However, Dvalishvili, known for his relentless attacks and spirit, began to close the gap in the second period.
Dvalishvili’s comeback and other key matches
With strong crowd support, Dvalishvili executed a single-leg takedown in the second period, followed by another takedown in the third. He then gained a shot clock advantage, moving ahead 9-8 before ultimately securing an 11-8 win. This marked the second athletic competition between Dvalishvili and Cejudo; Dvalishvili had also won their previous encounter in the UFC two years prior by decision. This victory improved Dvalishvili’s RAF record to 2-0, following his win against Frankie Edgar at RAF 09 in May, while Cejudo’s RAF record now stands at 1-1, with a win over Urijah Faber at RAF 06 in February.
The RAF Georgia event featured a 12-match card with several decorated combat athletes. Kyle Snyder successfully defended his light heavyweight title by defeating two-time Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev via pinfall. Snyder’s win came after Sadulaev held a slender lead, which narrowed to 4-3 after a shot clock violation. Snyder secured the pin after driving through by lifting his opponent’s ankle, despite earlier confusion regarding the scoreboard.
Kyle Dake also retained his cruiserweight belt, overcoming Vladimeri Gamkrelidze on points with a 2-0 score. Dake sustained a cut on his head during the match but continued to fight, ultimately shutting out Gamkrelidze. His victory improved his RAF record to 5-0. Helen Maroulis retained the women’s bantamweight title by defeating Anhelina Lysak via pinfall.
Opening bouts and upcoming events
The event commenced with Arman Tsarukyan, a highly-regarded UFC fighter, delivering an 11-0 technical fall masterclass against Kuat Khamitov. This win pushed Tsarukyan’s RAF record in 2026 to 7-0. Tsarukyan is scheduled to return to the RAF mats in one week, on July 18, at RAF 11 in Milwaukee, where he will face Colby Covington.
Other notable results from the event included Givi Matcharashvili defeating Zach Elam 7-3 on points in a heavyweight bout, and Geno Petriashvili securing a 10-0 technical fall victory over Jake Varner. Vladimer Khinchegashvili achieved an 11-0 technical fall win against Conor Beebe, while Ernazar Akmataliev won his RAF debut against Zain Retherford on points with a 3-3 score based on criteria. Razambek Zhamalov defeated Jarrett Jacques 3-2 on points in a catchweight match, and Anastasia Nichita won against Vinesh Phogat 7-6 on points in a women’s bantamweight bout. Brock Hardy also secured a 12-2 technical fall victory over Alibeg Alibegov.
The event concluded with Dvalishvili celebrating his victory, expressing gratitude and pride in his performance. He stated, “Thank you so much. I am so happy and I make my people proud.”
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Source: sports.yahoo.com
