Merab Dvalishvili was teaching Nina Drama how to slip punches and pick up an opponent when things took an unexpected turn. 💀 Merab picked her up and dropped her straight onto the mat, despite Nina repeatedly telling him, “Don’t drop me!” 😭 Via @ninamariedaniele #ufc #mma #ninadrama #merabdvalishvili #mmaonline
Merab Dvalishvili turned a routine training demonstration into a viral moment, hoisting social media personality Nina Drama into the air and dropping her onto the mat while she begged him not to.
The footage, shared by @ninamariedaniele, shows the bantamweight standout teaching Drama how to slip punches and lift an opponent. The lesson took an unexpected turn when Dvalishvili picked her up and slammed her to the canvas, even as she repeatedly told him, "Don't drop me!" The clip drew plenty of laughs from fans online.
Dvalishvili, nicknamed "The Machine," is one of the most relentless grapplers in the sport. The 35-year-old Georgian carries a 21-5-0 record and sits at number one in the bantamweight rankings, with a number two spot in the pound-for-pound list. A member of the Serra-Longo Fight Team, he averages 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes, a figure that explains why a casual pickup came so naturally to him. He also lands 4.33 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy.
Drama, known as "Drama Queen," is a 37-year-old American who trains with the UFC and has no professional fights on her record. She stands five-foot-ten with a 73-inch reach, giving her a notable size edge over Dvalishvili, who measures five-foot-six with a 68-inch reach. Even so, the height difference did little to stop her from being lifted off her feet.
Why it matters
- The clip is a reminder of Dvalishvili's physical strength and takedown instincts, even in a lighthearted setting.
- It adds to the growing crossover between UFC fighters and online personalities who train in the sport.
- For Dvalishvili, a top-ranked bantamweight, it keeps his name in front of fans between fights.
The moment is a playful one, but it also underlines the grappling pressure that has made him a division fixture. Few fighters in the sport can match his takedown volume, and Drama got a firsthand taste of it on the mat.
