Merab Dvalishvili has claimed to have gained a whopping one-and-a-half-stone in just five hours. The Georgian takes on Petr Yan at UFC 333 for the bantamweight title in an eagerly anticipated rematch.
Before the clash, Dvalishvili weighed in at 9st 9lbs (135lbs), the exact same weight as his Russian counterpart. The two fighters are the co-main event for their clash in Abu Dhabi.
Extreme Weight Gain Video
It's a well-matched battle on paper, but Yan may have been left concerned by a video his opponent uploaded ahead of their clash. Dvalishvili, 35, posted a video of him weighing in at an astonishing 11st 0lbs (154lbs), which is equivalent to piling on almost 1.5-stone in just five hours.
He recorded a video of himself stepping on the scales and displaying the shocking new weight. In the video, he said: "It's been only five hours since I made weight, and I'm back already. I've been drinking water…19 pounds. In only five hours, I gained back 19 pounds. That's why how we do. Let's go, now I'm back."
"Drinking, and recovering. Now I'm gonna start eating. Let's go. Eat food first, and tomorrow, you guys already know who I'm gonna eat. Let's f****** go."
Weight Cutting in MMA
Fighters undergoing weight cuts is typical practice in MMA and other combat sports. They usually do this through shedding water in the run-up to the bout. It's also not unusual for a fighter to put on weight between the weigh-in and the bout itself, due to re-hydrating and eating food. However, this was an extreme increase in weight in such a short space of time, which may even give him a weight advantage.
The UFC has taken several measures to try and make weight-cuts safer. Many of those include banning IV drips and constructing the Performance Institute, which provides fighters with professional health experts to advise them on how to shed the weight safely.
Previous Bout and Rematch
Last year, Dvalishvili cut weight so many times, he was often asked repeated questions about his physical condition. He got down to 135lbs to face Yan at UFC 323 last year, a bout he went on to lose in a five-round decision.
After losing, he admitted he made some wrong decisions in his weight-cut, saying: "I tried to put on a show and I lost the fight. He had a better game plan. Congrats to him, but I want a rematch. Making 135 is always hard for me because I cut weight my own way — I don't trust nutritionists."
"I'm not looking for excuses. I tried to fight in an exciting way, everyone is happy - that's what matters most. I didn't want to wrestle, fighting boring. I wanted to stand and trade with him, and today he was better."
