Dvalishvili gains 19 pounds in five hours after bantamweight weigh-in

Merab Dvalishvili reported gaining 19 pounds in just five hours after weighing in at 135 pounds for his bantamweight title fight against Petr Yan at UFC 333, according to Yahoo Sports and BBC Sport. Both fighters weighed the same at the official weigh-in in Abu Dhabi.

Dvalishvili shared a video showing himself weighing 154 pounds after rehydrating and recovering post-weigh-in. He mentioned that after drinking water, he started eating to prepare for the fight.

Fighters often cut weight by shedding water before bouts and then rehydrate to regain weight, a strategy that can offer a physical edge inside the octagon. The UFC has implemented measures to make weight cuts safer, including banning IV drips and providing expert guidance through its Performance Institute.

Dvalishvili aims to reclaim the bantamweight title he lost to two-time champion Yan last December. The UFC 333 event also features a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev, both of whom made weight.

Other undercard fights include British flyweight Kavanagh's bout against Uzbekistan's Ramazan Temirov, with Kavanagh seeking to recover from a recent loss.