Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is one of the funniest fighters on the UFC roster; and if you don't laugh with him, 'The Machine' is fine with you laughing at him.
The Georgian wrestler has more than come out of his shell in recent years, regularly sharing homemade comedy skits on his social media channels – although his most viral video remains a rather painful memory.
Ahead of his first title defense at UFC 311, 'The Machine' has now explained the story behind the infamous ice diving video; one so bad that it eventually made national news in Georgia.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Merab Dvalishvili admits the 'stupid' ice diving video caused him terrible pain
On a bitterly cold day in February 2021, Georgian wrecking ball Merab Dvalishvili was running through a New York park when he decided to take a quick dip in a nearby lake.
'The Machine' hoped that a quick dip in the icy water might help his recovery, but failed to take into account that the temperature was so low that the lake was completely frozen… What came next was a painful lesson that the UFC champion will never forget it.
“I decided to jump into the cold water. I set up my phone, turn around and leave it in the snow, I take off my clothes and I decide to jump in the water,” the 135-pound champion said, via Full Send MMA.
“I knew it wasn't too deep and besides, it looked like snow, but I didn't know it was frozen.”
According to Dvalishvili, who is defending his bantamweight title in the co-main event of UFC 311, he initially refused to check the water because he wanted the feeling of the cold temperature when he took the plunge.
Unfortunately, “being more focused on jumping smartly to avoid hitting the ground” didn't help either, as the 18-4 bantamweight ended up face-first in a thick layer of ice and tree branches.
“As soon as I dived, I felt my skin peeling off. I grabbed my head, and I felt my skin peeling off and I thought, 'I'm so stupid, why did I do this?'
“As soon as I cut my head off, I forget about the video because I was afraid I would miss days in the gym [might] I have to miss a week or ten days because I need stitches.”
Dvalishvili reportedly required the assistance of a staple gun at a local hospital to help stop the bleeding, which he described in his Instagram post as the most painful moment of the entire ordeal.
“I forgot I made a video – I'm looking at my phone and laughing at myself, you know, should I post this? If I post, many people will say I'm stupid.
'But you know what, I don't hide anything. Once I post it I'll get at least 10,000 [new] followers, they show it on the Georgian news.”
Concerns have been raised about Dvalishvili's possible injury ahead of UFC 311
That “I'm not hiding anything” idea is commendable, though it has also led to concerns about a potential injury ahead of his UFC 311 title fight against Umar Nurmagomedov.
After revealing he suffered a minor injury during training, fans are now convinced the problem is worse than Dvalishvili suggests after his UFC 311 fighter portrait revealed a nasty red spot on his leg.
In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, 'The Machine' refused to be informed of the exact nature of the injury for fear of 'freaking out' his fanbase.
“I'm good now, I'll post the injury or whatever after the fight, but before that I don't want to show and make people panic. You know, the injury was serious, no joke.
“Having to fight on six weeks' notice, I was training hard, getting in a lot of pain and also dealing with some other injuries, but thank God I'm fine now and ready to go.”
Will this unknown injury affect 'And Still' or 'And New' in Los Angeles? Discover it on Saturday January 18.
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