A popular comedic actor recently bit off more than he could chew when he stepped into the ring with Merab Dvalishvili.
Kevin James had an interesting sparring session with UFC bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili.
James, who has acted in shows like The King of Queens and Everybody Loves Raymond while also being in movies like Paul Blart Mall Cop, Grown Ups, and Here Comes The Boom, was training in a gym when Dvalishvili started to work with him. James says he tagged in, when everyone in the gym knew he was an actor but Dvalishvili just assumed James was a heavyweight fighter.
Taking his MMA fandom a step further, James co-wrote, produced and starred in Here Comes The Boom, a comedy about a high school teacher who steps into the cage.
A recent sparring session became more intense than expected for the 57-year-old when he found himself opposite ‘The Machine’.
“This Guy Turns It On” – Kevin James On Merab Dvalishvili
During a recent interview with former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman on SiriusXM, James discussed his collision with the No.3-ranked bantamweight contender.
“I tag in, and I go to him, and Merab comes at me,” James explained. “I go, ‘Hey man, let’s go.’ And I guess I look like a big, fat heavyweight or something, I didn’t know what it was. But this guy turns it on, and he doesn’t know I’m an actor. He’s the only guy that didn’t know I’m an actor.”
Weidman then chimed in, joking that perhaps King of Queens was not a popular show in Georgia.
“He’s from the country Georgia. I guess ‘King of Queens’ is not big there.”
James went on to explain that he was shocked by Dvalishvili’s commitment to showing he could best a considerably heavier opponent.
“That was scary. I was like, ‘Did you tell this guy? You didn’t tell this guy!’ He had to prove, like, ‘I could knock out a heavyweight, too.’ And I was, like, ‘Are you kidding me?’”
Merab Dvalishvili is expected to step back into the Octagon on March 11. Opposite him come fight night will be No.2-ranked contender and former UFC Bantamweight Champion Petr Yan.