Merab Dvalishvili is one of the most dominant wrestlers in the UFC's lighter weight divisions today. He developed traditional Georgian wrestling skills early in life, shaping his fighting base.
His exceptional cardio allows a relentless pace in every bout, making him extremely difficult to match. During training, he was in full flow as he dominated bodybuilder Larry Wheels in a friendly grappling exchange.
Wheels is widely recognized as one of the most accomplished modern athletes in powerlifting and strength-based sports worldwide. He rose to prominence through elite raw powerlifting performances, including multiple world-record total lifts in official competition events. Wheels has recorded an all-time raw total of around 2,275 pounds and later improved it to approximately 2,370 pounds at elite meets.
In recent times, Wheels revealed he is stepping away from bodybuilding and aims to pursue wrestling or MMA training. Dvalishvili recently appeared on stream with the 260-pound influencer. They engaged in an almost two-hour grappling session focused on wrestling exchanges and positional control. During it, the bantamweight star made Wheels tap out nearly three times within one minute of sustained pressure.
This was not the first time Dvalishvili has trained with significantly heavier bodybuilders in controlled grappling exchanges. The Georgian superstar previously revealed how he dominated 260-pound athlete Bradley Martyn in wrestling-focused sessions. These moments highlight his extremely demanding training style and willingness to test his grappling against much larger opponents in live scenarios.
UFC fighters sparring or wrestling with streamers and influencers has become a common storyline. Vanessa Demopouloswas seen submitting streamer IShowSpeed during a grappling session. Arman Tsarukyan also controlled 6'3, 220-pound influencer MMA Guru in a training exchange. These moments reflect the growing trend of crossover combat sports content on digital platforms.
Merab Dvalishvili is recovering from his UFC 323 loss to Petr Yan while also healing from a broken nose. Despite time away from fights, he has stayed active through training and grappling exchanges. The recent video against Larry Wheels showed his wrestling control remains sharp outside of competition. It reinforced that 'The Machine' is still in strong form after months away from the octagon.
Merab Dvalishvili is widely known for his unusual and extreme training techniques throughout his professional MMA career. From jumping headfirst into frozen lakes to sparring multiple partners simultaneously, the Georgian superstar constantly pushes physical limits during preparation. His intense conditioning routines and relentless cardio have become defining parts of his fighting identity.
Another fighter known for demanding training methods is undoubtedly Ilia Topuria, who shares a strong Georgian connection with Dvalishvili. The two UFC stars have regularly trained together over the years because of their shared roots and similar preparation styles. Dvalishvili recently surprised Larry Wheels by revealing that backflips and intense core-strengthening drills are basic parts of their warm-up routines.
Dvalishvili had a busy 2025 campaign following his performance at UFC 306 in 2024. After capturing the bantamweight belt, he made his first successful defense by defeating Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. He submitted Sean O'Malley at UFC 316 and defended the title again against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320. However, he failed to maintain that momentum against Petr Yan at UFC 323.
Merab Dvalishvili has built a reputation around an intense mindset and relentless dedication toward demanding preparation. He is also preparing for an upcoming Real American Freestyle appearance against Frankie Edgar following his recent signing with the promotion. The recent warm-up footage further showed that his conditioning and explosiveness remain elite despite not competing for months.
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