Georgian bantamweight fighter Merab Dvalishvili gained 19 pounds (about 8.6 kg) within five hours of making the 135-pound limit for his co-main event title fight against Petr Yan at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, bringing fresh attention to extreme weight fluctuations in mixed martial arts.
The scale reading jumped from a disciplined 135 pounds at the official weigh-in to 154 pounds shortly after, as the 35-year-old documented his rapid rehydration on social media. Both Dvalishvili and his opponent, Russian champion Petr Yan, hit the exact bantamweight limit in Abu Dhabi ahead of their scheduled Saturday bout.
Dvalishvili Documents Rapid Rehydration Online
Shortly after stepping off the official scales at 9st 9lb, Dvalishvili uploaded a video clip to Instagram that showed him weighing in at 11st 0lb—a gain of 1st 5lb in a matter of hours. I’ve been drinking water and in only five hours I gain back 19 pounds, that’s what we do, let’s go,
the fighter said in the video while detailing his immediate recovery steps.
The post-weigh-in routine centers on intensive fluid intake before transitioning to solid meals. Now I’m back drinking and recovering. Now I’m going to start eating. Eat food first, then tomorrow you guys already know who I’m going to eat,
Dvalishvili added in the footage. The five-hour timeline represents the athlete’s personal account of recovery rather than an official promotion measurement.
Promotion Enforces Safety Guidelines
Extreme weight management is a standard practice across mixed martial arts, where athletes routinely shed fluids in the days leading up to a fight before aggressively rehydrating to gain a physical size advantage inside the octagon. To curb dangerous practices, the organization has instituted specific guidelines to protect competitors.
- Fighters are recommended to drop no more than 8% of their total body weight during fight week.
- Athletes are advised to remain within 10% of their designated weight class limit on fight night.
- The promotion prohibits intravenous drips to encourage healthier rehydration methods.
- The Performance Institute offers professional health guidance and support through health specialists and professionals to rostered athletes.
Fighters Prepare for UFC 333 Matchups
The co-main attraction marks a rematch for Dvalishvili, who is seeking to recover the bantamweight championship he lost to two-time champion Yan last December. During their pre-fight face-off in Abu Dhabi, the pair engaged in an intense but respectful stare-down after successfully making weight.
Elsewhere on the card, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev both cleared the scales ahead of their main event title clash. Volkanovski aims to secure a record ninth win in UFC featherweight championship bouts against Evloev, who enters the cage carrying an unblemished 20-fight record. The undercard features a flyweight meeting where Britain’s Lone’er Kavanagh faces Uzbekistan’s Ramazan Temirov as Kavanagh looks to rebound from a July loss to American Brandon Royval.
Worth a look
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