Kevin James recounts ‘scary’ sparring session with Merab Dvalishvili: “He didn’t know I was an actor!”
Known for such roles as Paul Blart in Mall Cop, Eric Lamonsoff in the infamous Grown Ups, and Scott Voss in Here Comes The Boom, Kevin James has established his himself as one of the most prominent names in the world of comedic acting.
However, Kevin James also has an avid background in Martial Arts, being a fan of MMA since the early days of the sport. Over the years, numerous sparring videos have emerged of James training alongside the likes of UFC legend Randy Couture.
Kevin James talks sparring with Merab Dvalishvili
In a recent interview on SiriusXM with former middleweight champion, Chris Weidman, Kevin James details his experience of sparring with the top-ranked UFC 135er, Merab Dvalishvili. James stated:
“I tag in, and I go to him, and Merab comes at me. 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.”
“He’s from the country Georgia. I guess ‘King of Queens’ is not big there,” exclaimed Weidman
“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?'”
So it would be safe to assume Kevin James’ sparring session didn’t end too well with the 3rd UFC-ranked Bantamweight.
