A brawl broke out between former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and Russian fighter Usman Nurmagomedov’s group at a hotel in Abu Dhabi on 11 November, and Abu Dhabi Police said they arrested 10 people in connection with it. Dvalishvili says he was attacked from behind during an interview, and footage shows him and Georgian wrestler Saba Lazishvili, 21, fighting back against a larger group.
Key points
- Dvalishvili was in Abu Dhabi for Saturday’s Real American Freestyle (RAF) event, where he is scheduled to face former UFC fighter Marlon Moraes.
- Video shows a man identified as Usman Nurmagomedov approaching Dvalishvili from behind and slapping him while he gave an interview, after which a fight broke out.
- Abu Dhabi Police said 10 people were arrested and that it would deal firmly with behaviour that threatens public safety or public order. The police said the fight took place at the hotel entrance.
- Fighters and Georgian public figures condemned the attack, while Islam Makhachev publicly defended Usman Nurmagomedov, according to MMA media reports.
What happened
Dvalishvili was recording an interview for RAF in the hotel lobby when a group approached him and Lazishvili from behind, according to Dvalishvili. The footage, which lasts less than a minute, shows a man identified as Nurmagomedov, wearing a black shirt and a hat, slapping Dvalishvili in the face, after which a brawl began with Dvalishvili and Lazishvili outnumbered by the other group.
The video then shows Dvalishvili and Lazishvili trading blows with several men. At one point Dvalishvili is lifted and thrown to the ground, and at least two men keep striking him, while Lazishvili is seen trying to fight off several others.
In a video posted on Instagram after the brawl, Dvalishvili and Lazishvili appeared with bloodied faces and described what happened, saying the group had attacked them from behind and kept kicking them while they were down. Dvalishvili also accused Usman’s older brother, Umar Nurmagomedov, of being involved. The Nurmagomedov camp had not given a detailed account of its own in the reports reviewed.
Police response
Early reports said everyone involved was being held for questioning. Abu Dhabi Police later confirmed 10 arrests, saying eight of those arrested took direct part in the fight.
Reactions
Georgian-Spanish fighter Ilia Topuria, a close friend of Dvalishvili, called the attackers cowards. UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland also criticised Nurmagomedov in strong terms.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze condemned the attack in a Facebook post, saying such behaviour has no place in sporting dignity and that he stands with Dvalishvili and praised Lazishvili. Tsotne Ivanishvili, son of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, also expressed support for Dvalishvili on Instagram.
After the footage spread, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev defended Usman Nurmagomedov, according to MMA media reports.
Background to the rivalry
The incident follows a long-running rivalry between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov camp. In January 2025, Dvalishvili beat Usman’s brother Umar by unanimous decision at UFC 311 to defend his bantamweight title after months of heated exchanges.
Tensions resurfaced in recent months, when Dvalishvili was involved in a scuffle in Tbilisi with Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, an associate of the Nurmagomedov camp, ahead of UFC Georgia, followed by public exchanges on social media between Dvalishvili and Umar.
Umar Nurmagomedov is a cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is reported to maintain friendly ties with several Georgian officials, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Kaladze and Ivanishvili.
What happens next
Dvalishvili is still scheduled to face Marlon Moraes at RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday 14 November. Umar Nurmagomedov is set to face former UFC fighter Urijah Faber on the same card. This article will be updated if police or the organisers release more details.
Read more: More Georgia news
