Brawl erupted after Russian MMA fighter Usman Nurmagomedov, accompanied by a group, approached former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili from behind and slapped him as Dvalishvili was giving an interview in an Abu Dhabi hotel lobby on November 11.
Footage showed Dvalishvili and fellow Georgian wrestler Saba Lazishvili, 21, fighting back as they were outnumbered by Nurmagomedov’s group. The incident has sparked reactions from UFC fighters and Georgian public figures, with many condemning the attack, expressing support for Dvalishvili and praising Lazishvili’s dedication to fight back against Nurmagomedov’s larger group. Local police reportedly detained and questioned everyone involved.
Dvalishvili was in Abu Dhabi ahead of Saturday’s Real American Freestyle (RAF) event. He is scheduled to face former UFC fighter Marlon Moraes, while Nurmagomedov’s older brother, Umar, is set to face former UFC fighter Urijah Faber.
Video of the altercation, which lasts less than a minute, shows Dvalishvili giving an interview in the hotel lobby when a group of men approaches him from behind. One of them, identified as Nurmagomedov, wearing a black shirt and a hat, approaches Dvalishvili from behind before slapping him in the face, triggering a brawl as Lazashvili and Dvaliashvili appear outnumbered by Nurmagomedov’s group.
The footage then shows Dvalishvili and Lazishvili exchanging blows with the other men. At one point, Dvalishvili is seen being lifted and thrown to the ground, while at least two continue striking him. Lazishvili is also seen attempting to fight back against several men.
In a video posted on Instagram following the brawl, Dvalishvili and Lazashvili appeared with a bloodied face and described how the confrontation unfolded.
“I was doing an interview for RAF in the hotel lobby and Usman and his buddies came up from behind and started punching me and my young friend. Security was holding me – They kept kicking us when we were down like losers,” he wrote alongside the footage.
MMA journalist Ariel Helwani reported on X hours after the brawl that “as of this writing, everyone involved in the hotel brawl is still being detained by the local authorities, I’m told.”
The brawl has drawn reactions from fellow UFC fighters and Georgian public figures, who widely condemned Nurmagomedov’s attack on Dvalishvili.
Georgian-Spanish mixed martial arts fighter Ilia “El Matador” Topuria, a close friend of Dvalishvili, condemned the attack on Dvalishvili, calling Nurmagomedov and his associates “cowards.”
“I always thought you were a bunch of mediocre individuals. Now you’ve removed every last doubt. Honor, respect, and humility aren’t words you preach. They’re values you live by. And you’ve shown none of them,” he wrote on X.
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland also reacted to the footage, writing: “Usman Nurmagomedov is the definition of a bi*ch.. These guys all run around pretending to be hard but they all act like fuc*ing dogs waiting to attack you when you’re not looking.”
The confrontation comes amid a longstanding rivalry between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov camp. In January 2025, Dvalishvili defeated Usman’s brother, Umar Nurmagomedov, by unanimous decision at UFC 311, successfully defending his bantamweight title following months of heated exchanges between the two fighters.
Tensions resurfaced in recent months, with Dvalishvili becoming involved in a scuffle in Tbilisi with Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, an associate of the Nurmagomedov camp, ahead of UFC Georgia. The incident was followed by public exchanges on social media between Dvalishvili and Umar.
The latest altercation also drew reactions from Georgian political figures.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze condemned the attack in a social media post, writing: “Such behavior toward Merab has no place in sporting dignity, in manhood or in humanity. This is completely unacceptable and shameful! Merab, we are with you. Saba Lazishvili – you are a great man!”
Tsotne Ivanishvili, the son of Georgia’s ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, also expressed support for Dvalishvili in an Instagram story. “Count me by your side, brother, everywhere and always. That unmanly act committed against you, which does not befit a Caucasian man, can not diminish you in any way,” he wrote.
Umar Nurmagomedov is a cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who reportedly maintains friendly ties with several Georgian officials, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Kaladze, and Ivanishvili. The four met in Cologne in July 2024, ahead of the Georgia-Spain football match.
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