Merab Dvalishvili vs Henry Cejudo Prediction: Merab Dvalishvili is looking to make his 10th winning streak in the UFC

The bantamweight division features a match between Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo scheduled for the early hours of Sunday at UFC 298. Dvalishvili is favored by bookmakers as they head into this match. The event will take place at the Honda Arena in Anaheim, Los Angeles, California. Dvalishvili, after losing his first two UFC fights, has turned his fortune around by winning his next nine fights. He aims to secure a victory in this match to make it his tenth consecutive win.

Merab Dvalishvili is aiming to secure another victory to further cement his status among the top fighters in his division. Weighing in at 135 lbs and standing at 5'6", he's known for being tough to knock out thanks to his exceptional stamina and has only been defeated once by stoppage. While his defense is strong, it may not quite match up to his opponent Henry's, but Merab's striking skills have been key to his success. He boasts notable victories against top bantamweights like Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, and Petr Yan. Dvalishvili tends not to focus on submissions, suggesting that this fight will likely be dominated by wrestling for position. The winner will probably be the one who can deliver the most effective ground-and-pound attacks.

Henry Cejudo stands 5'4" tall and weighs 135 lbs. His professional record is 16 wins and 3 losses, with most of these victories occurring in the past decade. Since 2020, Cejudo has only fought once and faced a split decision loss in the fifth round during that bout. This defeat came against Aljamain Sterling in a fight for the UFC bantamweight title last May, where Sterling managed to land more punches, particularly targeting Cejudo's head. Cejudo is known for his effective kicking and his ability to maneuver and feint from a distance, making the boxing range his most potent area. He excels at launching attacks with combinations and skillfully retreating just enough to launch counterattacks with powerful right straights as his opponents advance.

Both fighters are excellent wrestlers; Merab holds a judo black belt, while Cejudo is an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling. Despite their wrestling backgrounds, they both favor striking, with each landing about four significant strikes per minute. Cejudo is known to be a more effective finisher compared to Merab. Merab has suffered one loss via submission, but Cejudo hasn't won a fight using this method. Going into this fight, Merab is considered the clear favorite and is expected to win by decision.