Merab Dvalishvili, Marlon Moraes Set for Wrestling Match at RAF Abu Dhabi

Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will face Marlon Moraes under wrestling rules at Real American Freestyle’s debut Middle East event on Nov. 14 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The promotion announced the matchup on Wednesday, setting up a rematch of their UFC 266 encounter in September 2021, where Dvalishvili overcame an early barrage to defeat Moraes via second-round TKO.

The contest marks the fourth RAF appearance for the 35-year-old Dvalishvili. In previous wrestling outings with the promotion, he defeated Frankie Edgar and staged a comeback win against Henry Cejudo before dropping a rematch to Cejudo in August. Dvalishvili, who captured the UFC bantamweight title in 2024 and defended it three times, was in action most recently at UFC 333 on Oct. 24, where he lost a unanimous decision to Petr Yan in their third MMA meeting.

Moraes, a former World Series of Fighting bantamweight champion and UFC title challenger, stepped away from MMA in 2023. He returned to competition in August, securing a unanimous decision victory over Maximiliano Perez.

RAF Abu Dhabi will be headlined by a wrestling clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington. The card also features a matchup between Arman Tsarukyan and Neiman Gracie.