Merab Dvalishvili has a new opponent and a new date, as he’s now set to face Frankie Edgar at RAF 9 on May 30 in Dallas.
Dvalishvili was originally scheduled to meet Henry Cejudo in the main event of RAF 8 in April, but Cejudo withdrew just hours before the match due to an injury. Edgar has since stepped in to take on the former UFC bantamweight champion.
RAF 9 will not be headlined by Dvalishvili vs. Edgar, as the top billing goes to a clash between Gable Steveson and Alexandr Romanov. In the co-main event, Colby Covington is slated to face Chris Weidman.
Edgar, a former UFC lightweight champion, brings a decorated wrestling background to the matchup. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier at Clarion University and later helped coach 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Sebastian Rivera.
