Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Merab
Dvalishvili mounted a fairytale comeback in front of his home
fans at RAF Georgia.

Dvalishvili took on Henry
Cejudo in a wrestling match at RAF Georgia. Cejudo took an
early 8-0 lead with a dominant gut wrench and appeared to be on his
way to a clear win. However, Dvalishvili came from behind in the
second period to close the gap to 8-5.

“The Machine†then sent the Georgian crowd into a frenzy as he
ultimately defeated Cejudo 11-8 on points.

Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo wrestling match delivers
dramatic comeback in Georgia

Dvalishvili had also defeated Cejudo via a unanimous decision in
their UFC clash in 2024. He won the UFC bantamweight title in his
next outing and defended it thrice before losing to Petr Yan at

UFC 323 this past December.

Cejudo retired from MMA on a four-fight slump following a loss to
Payton
Talbott on the same card. “Triple C†defeated fellow UFC
veteran Urijah Faber
in his RAF debut this past February before losing to Dvalishvili.
Meanwhile, Dvalishvili was coming off a victory over Frankie
Edgar in his RAF debut this past May.

Merab
Dvalishvili just came back from an 8-0 deficit to defeat
Henry
Cejudo in his hometown at RAF Georgia 🤯

WHAT A MATCH!pic.twitter.com/7U4zkQcHE3

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
July 11, 2026

Adrian Yanez went back to his original game plan at UFC 329. |
📷: Getty/UFC

---

Adrian
Yanez says his coach was instrumental at both keeping him out
of danger and finding the finish in his return to winning ways in
the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Yanez took on Cody
Garbrandt in a bantamweight matchup at
UFC 329 in Las Vegas. After trading punches in the early
moments, Yanez knocked out the former bantamweight champion with a
crisp combo less than three minutes into the first round.

While Yanez was previously doing his training camps between
different gyms, he has settled at Fortis
MMA in Dallas since last year. He credits his head coach,
Sayif
Saud, for his win over Garbrandt.

Adrian Yanez reveals the advice from Sayif Saud that changed
the Cody Garbrandt fight

When Garbrandt initially came out all guns blazing, Yanez
instinctively wanted to stand and trade with him. However, he then
heard Saud's distinct voice guiding him back to his game plan. He
reveals that he also went for the finishing sequence on Saud's
instruction.

“Honestly, for me, it's the coaching… Since I started working with
coach Sayif, hearing his voice, it's so distinct, you can hear it
through any crowd,†Yanez said in a post-fight interview. “So as
soon I heard, ‘Move, get out of there, don't. Stop.' I was like,
‘Yes, you're right, coach. I'm being an idiot right now.'… He hit
me with that first flurry and I was like, ‘I'm gonna bite down and
fight.' Then I was like, ‘Wait, this is exactly what he wants.'
Right as I skidded out, coach Sayif told me to get back on the
plan. And as soon as coach Sayif called for it, I went for it, I
landed it, and I got the knockout.â€

Yanez (18-6) returned after a 15-month layoff this past March, when
he fought Ricky Simon
to a majority draw. The win over Garbrandt (15-8) marked Yanez's
first win in two years. Meanwhile, “No Love†has now dropped three
of his last four outings.

“As soon as I smell a little bit of blood,
I’m going for it all.â€

Adrian
Yanez (@yanezmma) has his
eyes fixed on the bantamweight rankings after putting Cody
Garbrandt away in the first round. #UFC329

Complete Prelim Results âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/zJYzZphBW3 pic.twitter.com/KJR8FD3yy1

— UFC News (@UFCNews)
July 12, 2026

Paddy Pimblett is sympathetic towards Conor McGregor after the premature conclusion to the UFC 329 headliner.

The stage was set for McGregor to make his big return after being away from pro MMA competition for five years. The “Notorious†one made his walkout for a rematch with fellow MMA icon Max Holloway. Early in the fight, McGregor went for a jumping kick, but he appeared to land awkwardly on his right leg. McGregor had issues moving around before the fight was stopped due to the injury.

Pimblett was featured in the UFC 329 co-main event, and he discussed McGregor's nightmare scenario during the post-fight presser.

“It was sad to see,†Pimblett said. “That's the thing with this sport. You've got to stay consistent. You've got to keep fighting, and I think where he hasn't fought in so long, his body couldn't keep up with it. Coming out and throwing a crazy kick like that first thing, his knee just collapsed underneath him. I feel so bad for him. He's put so much into coming back and getting back in the Octagon, and that happens in the first five seconds. You've got to feel for him.â€

Pimblett fight was even shorter than McGregor's return, but it was all good vibes for “The Baddy.†Pimblett locked up a d'arce choke that put Benoit Saint Denis to sleep in just 52 seconds. It's quite the statement from the Liverpool native, who was looking to rebound after a January loss to Justin Gaethje.

As for McGregor, he figures to have another long road ahead of him. The Irish megastar's final bout on his current UFC deal is scheduled for 2027. Whether or not he'll go through with finishing the deal once he fully recovers remains to be seen.

In a statement posted on his X page, McGregor admitted that he's in “hell†mentally. He ruled out the idea that he had a pre-existing injury going into the bout. “Mystic Mac†vowed to overcome what he is calling the “devil.â€

Do you think Conor McGregor's body simply can't handle the rigors of MMA competition anymore, or was this just a freak accident? Share your opinion in the comments below.