Merab Dvalishvili of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) expressed his hope to train with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg following the tech mogul’s attendance at his UFC 298 victory against Henry Cejudo, as reported by Daily Mail.
The UFC’s third-ranked bantamweight, Dvalishvili, disclosed prior contact with Zuckerberg before the event in Anaheim, noting Zuckerberg’s message about his attendance at the fight.
Dvalishvili mentioned, “We follow each other on Instagram, and he messaged me before the fight to say he’d be there, asking me to keep it a secret, which I did. I spotted him on my way out and greeted him in person.”
The Georgian fighter also plans to train with Zuckerberg, who has been in the spotlight for his martial arts training following a challenge by Tesla’s Elon Musk for a mixed martial arts (MMA) fight.
Dvalishvili detailed, “We had plans to train together, but an injury on his part delayed them. We look forward to training together, which will boost our confidence as we learn each other’s styles. Eventually, I hope to have him in my corner.”
He emphasized the long-term nature of this plan, highlighting his ongoing improvement in the sport.
During the event, Zuckerberg witnessed Dvalishvili’s three-round domination over former champion Cejudo and even saw a notable moment when Dvalishvili executed a dramatic move against Cejudo in front of Zuckerberg. Additionally, Zuckerberg was present in Alexander Volkanovski’s corner for the main event, fully immersed in the UFC atmosphere.
