RAF 08: Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo takes place Saturday, April 18, from The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The card begins at 8:00 PM ET and streams exclusively on FOX Nation.
Real American Freestyle's Philadelphia card stacks 12 matchups pairing UFC crossover names, Olympic medalists, and recent NCAA standouts.
Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo Headlines RAF 08
The main event puts elite UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili on the freestyle mat against former two-division UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo. Cejudo arrives off his 11-0 technical fall win over Urijah Faber at RAF 06, a performance that cemented his status as one of RAF’s marquee attractions.
Dvalishvili is one of the most decorated grapplers on the current UFC roster and a top bantamweight contender. He brings a deep wrestling résumé into his Real American Freestyle debut, adding another high-level storyline to the Philadelphia headliner.
Tsarukyan vs. Faber in Co-Main
Arman Tsarukyan meets UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber in a featured middleweight bout in the co-main event slot. Tsarukyan is coming off his RAF 07 rematch win over Georgio Poullas, while Faber returns looking to rebound after dropping his RAF debut to Cejudo earlier this year.
Snyder vs. Aitmukhan at Light Heavyweight
Kyle Snyder faces Rizabek Aitmukhan of Kazakhstan at light heavyweight. Snyder is an Olympic gold medalist and one of the most credentialed American freestyle wrestlers ever to step onto a pro mat.
Full Match Card
- Main Event: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo
- Middleweight (Co-Main): Arman Tsarukyan vs. Urijah Faber
- Light Heavyweight: Kyle Snyder vs. Rizabek Aitmukhan
- Cruiserweight: Zahid Valencia vs. Aeoden Sinclair
- Heavyweight: Anthony Cassioppi vs. Shamil Sharipov
- Bantamweight: Helen Maroulis vs. Alexis Janiak
- Featherweight: Real Woods vs. Anthony Ashnault
- Middleweight (175 lbs): Jason Nolf vs. Joey Blaze
- Featherweight: Vladimer Khinchegashvili vs. Johnni DiJulius
- Lightweight: Lance Palmer vs. Cayden Henschel
- Featherweight: Jordan Oliver vs. Mike Vanbrill
- Bantamweight (135 lbs): Darian Cruz vs. Lucas Byrd
Key Undercard Matchups
The middleweight bout between Jason Nolf and Joey Blaze pits a multi-time NCAA champion against a 2026 NCAA All-American fresh off the college mat. The bantamweight closer between Darian Cruz and Lucas Byrd pairs two past NCAA standouts, with Cruz now representing Puerto Rico internationally.
How to Watch RAF 08
- Date/Time: Saturday, April 18, 2026, 8:00 PM ET
- Venue: The Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Streaming: FOX Nation (exclusive)
Looking ahead, Gable Steveson makes his RAF debut against Alexandr Romanov at RAF 09 on May 30 in Dallas.
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Stay tuned to MMANews.com for live results, match recaps, and post-event reaction from RAF 08.
