Merab Dvalishvili Beats Frankie Edgar at RAF 09, Calls Out Henry Cejudo

Merab Dvalishvili defeated Frankie Edgar at RAF 09, the former bantamweight champion securing a victory that kept his path to a title fight intact. Dvalishvili used his post-fight interview to deliver a message he said the UFC had assured him: no interim belt will be created at 135 pounds while Petr Yan recovers from a back injury. "I hope he will come back soon.

But the UFC told me there is no interim belt in this weight class. It doesn't matter if Sean O'Malley wins or Aiemann Zahabi wins. I am fighting Yan," Dvalishvili said. Sean O'Malley is scheduled to fight Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14.

Com reported that regardless of that bout's outcome, Dvalishvili will face Yan next once the latter returns from injury. The matchup would mark the trilogy between Dvalishvili and Yan, who each hold one win over the other. Yan won their second meeting and took the championship with it.

A tweet by MMA Fighting on May 31, 2026 summarized Dvalishvili's comments about the absence of interim belts and his commitment to fighting Yan. Dvalishvili did not plan to stay idle while awaiting Yan's return. In the same post-fight interview at RAF 09 he called out Henry Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling and a two-division UFC champion.

Dvalishvili said. The article was originally posted on Total Pro Sports by Pavan Sharma. It was last updated on May 31, 2026 at 3:25 AM ET. Dvalishvili's win over Edgar kept him active, a priority for the fighter who prefers to keep beating top opponents rather than wait passively for the next title opportunity.

The rivalry with Yan, now at one win apiece, has been building toward a decisive third bout.