Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will make his Real American Freestyle debut at RAF 8 on April 18, 2026, in Philadelphia. The event at Liacouras Center will stream exclusively on FOX Nation, with an opponent yet to be announced. This marks Dvalishvili's first competition outside the UFC since 2021.
Merab Dvalishvili, known as "The Machine," is set to compete in freestyle wrestling under the Real American Freestyle (RAF) banner before returning to the UFC octagon. Promotional officials confirmed that the 35-year-old, who holds the UFC record for most takedowns at 119, will headline RAF 8 at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia on Saturday, April 18, 2026. The 10,000-seat arena on Temple University's campus will host the event, streaming live on FOX Nation.
Dvalishvili's participation follows a busy 2025 in the UFC, where he defended the 135-pound title three times—against Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen—before losing a unanimous decision to Petr Yan at UFC 323 in December, ending his 14-fight win streak, the longest in bantamweight history. His overall MMA record stands at 21-5.
RAF CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein praised the signing, stating, “Philadelphia is a fight city, and RAF belongs on the biggest stages. Merab is elite, relentless, and rooted in wrestling. When athletes of his caliber step onto the RAF stage, it reinforces what this league represents—the professional home for the sport’s best.”
Founded in 2025 and headquartered in Florida, RAF features current and former MMA fighters, Olympians, and amateur wrestlers in unscripted professional freestyle matches. The league has partnered exclusively with FOX Nation, which can be bundled with Amazon Prime Video for $24.99 monthly. RAF has generated over 170 billion earned media impressions and surpassed seven figures in ticket and merchandise revenue.
Additional matchups for RAF 8 will be announced soon. Pre-sale tickets go on sale February 25, with general sale on February 27. RAF's immediate schedule includes RAF 6 this Saturday in Tempe, Arizona, headlined by Henry Cejudo versus Urijah Faber, and RAF 7 on March 28 at Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida, featuring Kyle Dake versus Parker Keckeisen and Bo Bassett versus Vladimer Khinchegashvili.