Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently engaged in a mixed martial arts sparring session with former UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili. The training took place on a large barge on Lake Tahoe, with footage shared by Zuckerberg showing the pair exchanging blows. A number of videographers, drone operators, and friends were present to capture the event from multiple angles.
During the session, Zuckerberg's wife, Priscilla Chan, passed by on a canoe. Zuckerberg noted that Dvalishvili suggested he remove his shirt to appear more like a fighter. Dvalishvili, who holds the number one contender position in the bantamweight division, appeared to be holding back during the sparring. Zuckerberg, however, demonstrated his striking and wrestling abilities, including throwing Dvalishvili into the water.
This marks the second time Zuckerberg and Dvalishvili have sparred, with their previous session occurring in December 2025. Zuckerberg is known for his regular training in mixed martial arts and jiu-jitsu. UFC chief Dana White has previously commented on Zuckerberg's fighting capabilities.
This training session follows reports that Zuckerberg's yacht, the Launchpad, may have ignored a distress call from a stranded vessel in Alaskan waters. The incident involved a 21-foot skiff that ran out of fuel between Juneau and Petersburg and was eventually rescued by a smaller boat. Zuckerberg's representatives stated that he was not aboard the yacht at the time of the incident. According to a spokesman, the yacht was operating on a different radio channel when the assistance request was made, and another vessel had already begun responding by the time the crew reviewed the broadcast.
A passenger on the rescuing vessel, Michael Love, posted on social media that the cruise ship captain announced Zuckerberg's yacht had repeatedly failed to respond to calls for assistance. Love indicated that the yacht's crew did not dispute receiving the call but rather claimed they had not heard it. US regulations require mariners to assist a vessel only if it is in danger of being lost. In this case, the Coast Guard had determined the situation was not a distress emergency, a classification that appears to support the yacht's position.