Merab Dvalishvili revealed that he plans to train with Mark Zuckerberg after admitting that he knew the latter would be attending UFC 298 in Anaheim last Saturday.
On Monday, the UFC’s No. 3 bantamweight said TMZ who had been exchanging messages with the Facebook founder before the event. He also shared that Zuckerberg asked him to keep his plans for the event a secret.
‘We follow each other on Instagram and he texted me before the fight saying he was coming. He told me ‘Don’t tell anyone.’ I can keep a secret, of course,” Dvalishvili said. “I knew he was there, and once I came out I saw him, of course, I greeted him in person.”
Additionally, the Georgian revealed that he plans to train with Zuckerberg in the future. The latter has been taking his martial arts training seriously and recently sparked rumors of an MMA fight with Elon Musk.
“We were planning to train together and he got injured and is still recovering,” Dvalishvili shared. “When we become training partners, we will have more confidence.”
UFC star Merab Dvalishvili knew Mark Zuckerberg would be at UFC 298 in Anaheim
Zuckerberg exchanged messages with Dvalishvili ahead of UFC’s return to Orange County
Dvalishvili dominated former champion Henry Cejudo to earn a unanimous decision victory
‘When he understands my (training) style and I understand his, I’ll bring him into my corner. And there’s no rush, because I’m here for the long haul. I’m getting better and better.’
Zuckerberg sat cageside as Dvalishvili dominated former champion Henry Cejudo over three rounds. At several points during the fight, Dvalishvili was seen speaking to Zuckerberg as he worked toward a unanimous decision.
One of the most memorable moments of the fight occurred in the third round when Dvalishvili carried Cejudo across the octagon and punched him in front of Zuckerberg.
In addition to watching the fights up close, Zuckerberg also suited up and joined Alexander Volkanovski’s corner for the main event. Fans were quick to point out how uncomfortable he looked as they cornered the Australian with his strange appearance.
Dvalishvili was seen speaking to Zuckerberg at various points during the three-round fight.
Zuckerberg also joined Alexander Volkanovski’s corner for the featherweight title main event.
Moments later, Alejandro ‘The Great’ lost his featherweight belt after being knocked out by Ilia Topuria in the second round.
Dvalishvili’s performance over Cejudo improved his record to 17-4 and extended his winning streak to ten fights.
After a decisive victory, Dvalishvili is expected to fight the winner between Sean O’Malley and Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera for the featherweight title. The two will have a rematch in the main event of UFC 299 in March.