UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili once compromised his life and a career wanting an impromptu cold plung. Dvalishvili ended up jumping into a frozen lake head first. The rising contender subsequently injured himself pretty badly and needed a serious number of stitches.
While most people prefer to stay warm on their comfy couch, Merab Dvalishvili chose to go outside during winter last year. ‘The Machine’ decided to jog around the town engulfed in snow. This alone baffled a lot of people considering that jogging in subzero temperatures could harm your lungs which is especially reckless knowing his role as a professional athlete.
However, Dvalishvili decided to be reckless. The 31-year-old found a frozen lake and jumped into it.
“Hey, I should jump into that”, Dvalishvili said in the footage that he recorded himself.
Dvalishvili thought he would break the ice and go straight into the water. He miscalculated the risk and hit a tree branch instead.
Dvalishvili can be seen holding his head in pain while going back to take the camera. On his way back, he recorded himself with a big smile and a lot of blood coming out of his head. He shared the update on his condition.
Dvalishvili took to his account to post the video and wrote this in the caption:
“I thought [it would be] a great day to train and run in the park. Then I saw a pond which I thought was snow and water. BUT it turned out to be all ice and tree branches sticking out. As soon as I broke the ice I felt my skin peeling off . BUT nothing [was] more painful then when they stapled my skin back together! It’s all good now … feeling great.”
The injury ended up requiring 17 staples to keep his scalp closed.
Merab Dvalishvili has climbed his way to the top of UFC bantamweight rankings since 2018. He joined the UFC a year prior but lost two outings back-to-back. The Georgian eventually got a grip and are currently sitting at number 6 in the division ranking with a 7 win streak
Dvalishvili is slated to face former featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 278 on August 20th.