Nina-Marie Daniele wrestling a Georgian woman with Merab Dvalishvili refereeing sends Kayla Harrison and others reeling: "I literally can not"

While traveling through Georgia with Merab Dvalishvili after his huge submission win over Sean O’Malley at UFC 316, Nina-Marie Daniele found herself in an unexpected wrestling match against a Georgian woman. To sprinkle in some fun, Dvalishvili, ever the entertainer, played referee.

Daniele squared up, dug deep, and managed to take her opponent down after a brief hesitation initially. The exchange was clumsy, spirited, and full of heart.

Fans who’ve watched her training skits with fighters online immediately pointed to those moments, and even UFC women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison was floored. She wrote:

"I literally can not."

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Meanwhile, some of the fans wrote:

"Nina with the low stance!"

"All that training with the pros paid off. Someone show this to [Valentina] Shevchenko. I want to see her reaction."

"Time for Nina to put everything she's learnt from fighters to use."

"Merab the greates hype man in the world right now."

"2 reversals and 1 takedown by Nina [by the way]. She won 3-0."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to the video of Nina-Marie Daniele wrestling with a Georgian woman. [Screenshots courtesy: @mma.pros.pick on Instagram]

The trip hit Daniele deeper than she expected. She got emotional while thanking the people of Georgia in a recent Instagram video. She called them kind, warm, and said they showed her love without knowing her. You could tell it was heartfelt as she paused, teared up, and thanked Dvalishvili.

Nina-Marie Daniele thanks Georgians after unforgettable journey

Nina-Marie Daniele shared a heartfelt message for the people of Georgia after wrapping up her visit with UFC star Merab Dvalishvili. The pair planned the trip ahead of the UFC 316 rematch, with Dvalishvili promising Daniele that he would give her a firsthand experience of Georgian culture.

That promise rang true as Daniele was deeply moved by the kindness and support she received. She took to Instagram and said:

"It's just a really beautiful country. You guys have been so nice to me. I'm just so happy. I'm so grateful to be here, and I'm so happy for Merab. He's such a good guy. He's such a good person. He deserves all of it. And you guys are so supportive by the amount of love that you showed even me. You guys don't even know me. And you showed me so much love and support, is crazy. So I'm just so grateful for you guys. Thank you! Okay, I've never cried on the internet before, but I love you guys so much."

Check out Nina-Marie Daniele's Instagram post below:

About the author

Abhishek Ramadasan Nambiar is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. As a long-time practitioner of various martial arts, seeing the fusion of different forms into a quest for the ultimate fighter felt both primal and profoundly technical. At Sportskeeda, Abhishek's primary goal is to offer a fresh and distinctive angle through his writing, aiming to provide readers with more than just the basics of MMA. Along with keeping them informed about the latest developments in the sport, he strives to offer valuable insights that enhance their understanding of MMA.

When not writing about MMA, Abhishek often spends time reviewing music or devouring Brian Evanson's and Blake Crouch's work. Sign up to receive news, regular updates, and exclusive coverage.

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar