Henry Cejudo Eyes Trilogy After RAF 12 Pin

Henry Cejudo left RAF 12 looking beyond his 36-second pin of Merab Dvalishvili. The former Olympic champion said he wants a third wrestling match with the Georgian after evening their series at one victory apiece. No trilogy bout has been booked, but Cejudo’s interest is the new development: the rematch settled the immediate score without ending the rivalry.

The first meeting explains why the quick result mattered so much to Cejudo. He built an 8-0 lead before Dvalishvili rallied to win 11-8, a reversal Cejudo later described as humbling. Their RAF 12 rematch followed a completely different path. Cejudo attacked early, put Dvalishvili in danger and completed the pin 36 seconds into the opening period. Instead of another long swing in momentum, the contest ended before Dvalishvili could establish his pace.

Why Cejudo Wants a Third Match

Cejudo now has a straightforward competitive argument for another meeting. Dvalishvili owns the comeback victory from their first bout, while Cejudo owns the decisive pin from the second. A third match would answer a question the rematch could not: which result best represents the rivalry when both men have time to adjust? Cejudo sounded eager to find out, although he did not claim that RAF or either camp had agreed to terms.

That distinction is important. Cejudo announced his interest, not a confirmed booking. His next scheduled appearance is in boxing against Deen the Great under the Misfits Boxing banner. Any third wrestling match with Dvalishvili would therefore require a separate agreement and a place on a future card. For now, the trilogy is a challenge Cejudo wants rather than an event fans can already put on the calendar.

The Work Behind the 36-Second Pin

Cejudo linked the turnaround to a more disciplined preparation. After the first loss, he sought advice from wrestling coach Izzy Martinez and spent roughly a month and a half training in upstate New York with Amsterdam’s wrestling program. He said the defeat forced him to recommit to the daily details that can fade after years of competition. The result at RAF 12 was brief, but the preparation behind it was not.

The setting also brought Cejudo back to the sport that made him an Olympic champion in 2008. He has spent the past 13 years focused mainly on mixed martial arts, winning UFC titles in two divisions along the way. Returning to a wrestling-only ruleset against Dvalishvili required a different rhythm and a narrower technical focus. In the rematch, Cejudo used that focus before the bout had time to become another endurance contest.

The contrast between the two matches is also why neither result can simply replace the other. Dvalishvili proved in the first meeting that he could recover after falling far behind, while Cejudo removed that possibility in the rematch by finishing immediately. Their different paths to victory give a potential third contest genuine competitive value. They do not, however, establish its rules, date or venue. Those details will matter only if the idea becomes a signed match.

• Cejudo pinned Dvalishvili 36 seconds into the opening period at RAF 12.
• The result tied their wrestling series at one win apiece, and Cejudo said he is interested in a trilogy.

The pin gave Cejudo the response he wanted after a difficult first meeting. His call for a trilogy gives the rivalry a logical next step without pretending that step is already official. Dvalishvili has shown he can turn a match around; Cejudo has shown he can end one immediately. A third contest would decide more than a tied series, but it will remain only a possibility until the athletes and a promoter make it real.

Sources: MMA Fighting; BJPenn