Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has taken his mixed martial arts training to new heights or rather new waters by sparring with former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili on a giant barge in the middle of Lake Tahoe. In a one-minute-plus video shared on Instagram, the pair traded blows in front of drones, videographers, and friends, with Zuckerberg’s wife Priscilla Chan casually paddling past on a canoe.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg: ‘Merab made me take my shirt off’
Zuckerberg also joked in the one-minute clip that Dvalishvili insisted that he remove his shirt ‘because it looks more fighter.’ While the UFC star appeared to be going easy on the billionaire, Zuckerberg showcased striking and wrestling skills, even throwing Dvalishvili into the water. The sparring session marks the second time the duo have trained together, following a December 2025 meet-up.The footage captured multiple angles of the sparring rounds, with an array of cameras clearly set up in advance to document the encounter. At one point, Zuckerberg’s wife Priscilla Chan is seen paddling past the barge on a canoe. Sharing the clip, Zuckerberg explained that Dvalishvili had told him to take his shirt off because it looks more fighter.Dvalishvili, who won the UFC bantamweight title in 2024 and remains the division’s top contender, appeared to go easy on the tech billionaire throughout the session. Even so, Zuckerberg got a moment to show off his striking and wrestling, at one point throwing Dvalishvili into the lake. This marks the second time the pair have sparred publicly, having first done rounds together in December 2025.
Mark Zuckerberg’s well-known MMA habit
Zuckerberg has built a reputation over the past few years for training regularly in MMA and jiujitsu, often sparring with some of the sport’s most accomplished fighters. His dedication to the sport previously prompted UFC president Dana White to remark that the Meta boss could hold his own physically against just about anyone.
The yacht controversy
The viral fight comes as Zuckerberg faces scrutiny over his $300 million yacht Launchpad, which was accused of ignoring a distress call from a stranded vessel in Alaskan waters earlier this month. Mark Zuckerberg’s $390 million, 387-foot yacht Launchpad was recently booed over a reported failure to respond to a stranded boat. A Meta spokesperson has now clarified that the vessel’s crew was on a different radio channel and that help was already on the way. The incident happened last Monday, August 3 evening in Alaska after a 21-foot skiff ran out of fuel between Juneau and Petersburg. While social media users criticised Mark Zuckerberg’s superyacht, the company said neither Zuckerberg nor his family were on board at the time.
