Raf Wrestling: Cejudo blanks Faber, calls out Dvalishvili after RAF 6 win

Henry Cejudo returned to his wrestling roots with a dominant victory over Urijah Faber at RAF 6 in Tempe, keeping raf wrestling’s star-studded card in the headlines and setting up a booked showdown with Merab Dvalishvili in Philadelphia.

Raf Wrestling main event: Cejudo vs. Faber

At Mullet Arena in Tempe, Ariz., Cejudo—an Olympic gold medalist and former two-division UFC champion who retired this past December following his fourth straight UFC loss—took control of the RAF 6 main event with repeated ankle-pick and low-single takedowns that left Urijah Faber on the defensive. Faber, 46 and seven years older than Cejudo, retired from the UFC in 2019 and has won several grappling matches since, but he was unable to generate offense in this match.

There is a discrepancy in published final scores: one account shows a 10-0 shutout while another describes Cejudo finishing with an additional two-point takedown to reach 11-0 for a technical fall. Play-by-play from the match describes Cejudo scoring multiple takedowns across the opening, second and third periods, using slick ankle picks and low singles to force restarts and stalls before the match ended by technical fall.

Afterward, Cejudo called out Merab Dvalishvili from the stage, saying, “Merab Dvalishvili, you’re next!” and urging him to sign for an April matchup in Philadelphia; Dvalishvili walked onto the stage smiling and accepted the challenge, saying he loved the show, that he was ready for the big challenge, and that he would accept the bout.

Co-main and other notable matches in Tempe

The co-main featured Arman Tsarukyan against Georgio/Giorgio Poullas; Tsarukyan, an Armenian UFC fighter making his second appearance in the Real American Freestyle league, won a close match and was later tied to a mass brawl after his victory. The card mixed MMA veterans and decorated wrestlers across multiple weight classes.

RAF 6 results and outcomes listed from the evening included:

• Aljamain Sterling def. Benson Henderson Fall, 3rd Period
• David Carr def. Bubba Jenkins Tech Fall (13-2), 2nd Period
• Givi Matcharashvili def. Stephen Buchanan Criteria (3-3)
• Lucia Guzman def. Everest Leydecker Points (10-3)
• Tajmuraz Salkazanov def. Keegan O’Toole Points (9-0)
• Evan Wick def. Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov Tech Fall (13-2), 3rd Period
• Zahid Valencia def. Mahmoud Fawzy Sebie Tech Fall (10-0), 1st Period
• Jordan Oliver def. Beau Bartlett Points (5-3)
• Keelon Jimison def. Clay Guida Tech Fall (13-3), 2nd Period
• Andrew Alirez def. Bryce Meredith Tech Fall (13-2), 2nd Period
• Arman Tsarukyan vs. Georgio Poullas — Arman Tsarukyan win 5-3
• Henry Cejudo vs. Urijah Faber — Henry Cejudo win (listed as 10-0 in one result set)
• Additional reported results include: Aljamain Sterling win 12-2; David Carr win 13-2 and defending championships; Andrew Alirez win 13-3; Givi Matcharashvili win 3: 3 (+/-); Jami Guzman win 10: 3; Taimuraz Salkazanov win 9: 0; Evan Wick win 13: 3; Zahid Valencia win 10: 0; Jordan Oliver win 5: 3
• Conflicting entries in results lists included: Clay Guida vs. Mugzy — Mugzy win 13: 3 (in one listing) and Keelon Jimison def. Clay Guida Tech Fall (13-3) (in another), plus the name variants Lucia Guzman and Jami Guzman for a 10-3 win over Everest Leydecker.

Broadcast, timing and atmosphere

The RAF 06 freestyle tournament took place on March 1 at Mullet Arena in Tempe, Arizona, and the official broadcast was available on the Fox Nation platform. The show started at 9: 00 p. m. local time (with international time conversions listed in some schedules).

What’s next: RAF 7, RAF 8 and Cejudo’s booked return

Promotional plans moved quickly after RAF 6. Cejudo signed a three-match deal with the promotion and was officially booked against Merab Dvalishvili for the RAF 8 main event on April 18 in Philadelphia; RAF 8 is slated to be the promotion’s first trip to Philadelphia and will feature Dvalishvili’s promotional debut. Separately, Urijah Faber was announced as one half of the RAF 7 main event in April (unclear in the provided context who his opponent will be).

The next confirmed milestone on the RAF calendar is RAF 8 in Philadelphia on April 18, where Cejudo and Dvalishvili are scheduled to meet in the main event.