Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has signed with the Real American Freestyle (RAF) promotion and is preparing for his debut on April 18 at RAF08 in Philadelphia, two months after suffering his first professional loss in more than seven years in UFC 323 to Petr Yan. With a fighting style based on dominant wrestling and a relentless pace, Dvalishvili arrives at RAF accompanied by expectations of high-profile matchups, with potential opponents such as Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O'Malley or Cory Sandhagen rumoured as future options. The RAF continues to attract big-name talent with strategic contracts, highlighting the league's ambition to position itself as a competitive and prestigious alternative in the global MMA.