Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo: Preview, Where to Watch and Betting Odds

Following a stellar performance against bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling after three years in retirement, former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo tests himself against number two ranked contender Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia. The Georgian’s UFC career has been flawless since dropping his first two fights in the promotion, and a win here will set him up for a shot at bantamweight gold. The pair face off in the main card of UFC 298 this weekend at Anaheim, California.

MMA: UFC Bantamweight

Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, California

Where to watch: PPV

Date: 18.02.2024. 08:45

The 33-year-old Merab Dvalishvili comes into the Octagon riding a nine-fight winning streak. His last defeat was in 2018 in his sophomore fight in the UFC. The amazing run includes victories over Brad Katona, Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, and Petr Yan. “The Machine” secured a decision over former champ Yan in his last fight in March last year. Dvalishvili is a wrestler and professional grappler. He has the record for the most takedowns landed in the division and scored the most total strikes in the 135–pound class. The Tbilisi-born contender loves to take his fights to the judges and holds the record for most unanimous decision wins in UFC Bantamweight division history.

• Age: 33
• Height: 5’ 6’’
• Reach: 68”
• Weight: 135 Ibs (61kg)
• Record: 16-4

The California-born Olympian is a UFC great who has won and defended UFC titles in both the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, holding both titles simultaneously. In 2020, “Triple C” stopped Dominick Cruz from successfully defending the bantamweight title before retiring and vacating the title. Last May, Henry Cejudo came out of retirement and challenged for the title again, losing by split decision to Aljamain Sterling. At 37, the former champ is ranked number three in the division.

• Age: 37
• Height: 5’ 4’’
• Reach: 64”
• Weight: 135 Ibs (61kg)
• Record: 16-3

Henry Cejudo is a huge favorite at 2.70 odds on Bet365. A decision win for the favorite is listed as 1.86 on Bet365. On Betwinner, total under 3.5 is priced at 2.75 odds, while under 2.5 is available at 3.2. Cejudo by KO/TKO or points victory is 2.7 odds on 1XBET with 1.526 the price for Merab Dvalishvili by KO/TKO or points.