There are bad ideas ... and then there are really bad ideas. Jumping into a frozen lake head-first is not one of the best of things to do, but Merab Dvalishvili did it anyway. Indeed, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight contender was out for a run and decided to take a dip into an ice-covered lake.
What he didn’t anticipate was what was waiting for him in the water as he dove in.
“I thought a great day to train and run in the park,” he wrote on Instagram. “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 threw the ice I felt my skin peeling off. BUT nothing more painful than when they stapled my skin back together! It’s all good now ... feeling great.”
Thankfully, “The Machine” is in great spirits and didn’t seem to suffer a major injury, which is great news to UFC’s ears. Dvalishvili was in line to make his long-awaited return to action this Saturday (Feb. 6, 2021) at UFC Vegas 18 against Cody Stamann, but was forced out due to lingering complications of COVID-19.
Now, the 135-pound standout — who is on a five-fight win streak — will have to sit on the sidelines a bit longer to let the big gash on his head fully heal.