Just weeks before facing Henry Cejudo at Real American Freestyle 8, Merab Dvalishvili says he broke his nose in two places during training. The event is scheduled for April 18 in Philadelphia, where the former UFC bantamweight champion is set to meet Cejudo in a wrestling match. In an era when fighters often pull out over far less, Dvalishvili is doing the opposite and leaning even harder into the identity that made him a fan favorite.
After seeing a specialist, Dvalishvili said a full repair would require doctors to re-break additional bones and keep him out for roughly a year. He has no interest in that route. Instead, he plans to leave the nose as is and deal with surgery after retirement, which he made clear he does not expect anytime soon.
The matchup itself carries more intrigue than a simple grappling exhibition. This will be the second meeting between Dvalishvili and Cejudo after Dvalishvili defeated him in the UFC in 2024. That result gave Dvalishvili a major name on his résumé; another win, even under a different ruleset, would reinforce the idea that he remains one of the most relentless pace fighters anywhere near the bantamweight conversation. For Cejudo, it is a chance to recover some momentum and remind fans he is still a serious threat against elite competition.
From an American fan perspective, this is the kind of matchup that gets attention because it blends UFC star power with high-level wrestling credentials. Philadelphia is also a fitting setting: it is a fight city that tends to respond to pressure, grit, and nonstop output, which is exactly the style Dvalishvili brings. Cejudo, meanwhile, enters with the deeper Olympic pedigree and the kind of competitive ego that usually makes rematches feel personal even when the promotion is not selling a grudge.
Dvalishvili’s nose may look worse than ever, but on April 18 the real story is whether his pace and toughness can beat Cejudo one more time — and whether this rivalry has another chapter waiting after Philadelphia.