Merab Dvalishvili Left Pouring with Blood as He Claims Usman Nurmagomedov and Team Attacked Him
Dvalishvili posted video of his injuries and said the attack could put his RAF Abu Dhabi fight against Marlon Moraes in doubt.
- On Wednesday, November 11, former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili was attacked by PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov and associates in an Abu Dhabi hotel lobby while filming an interview.
- Tensions stem from Dvalishvili's unanimous decision victory over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January 2025, which reignited a long-running rivalry between the two fighters.
- Footage shows Usman approaching Dvalishvili from behind and striking him before a brawl involving approximately 20 men broke out; Dvalishvili alleged his friend Saba Lazishvili was also attacked.
- Although former UFC two-division champion Ilia Topuria claimed Usman and associates were detained, no official charges were confirmed; Dvalishvili remains scheduled to wrestle former WSOF champion Marlon Moraes at Saturday's RAF Abu Dhabi event.
- The incident potentially jeopardizes Usman's expected transition to the UFC as a free agent, with observers questioning whether the promotion will reconsider signing him following the altercation.
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The Russian fighter Usman Nurmagomedov was arrested in the UAE for six months because of a fight with Georgian fighter Merab Dulishvili, who informed the source of TASS.
World-renowned MMA fighters Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili clashed in the lobby of a hotel in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The incident occurred when Nurmagomedov approached Dvalishvili from behind while he was giving an interview and slapped him in the face, after which a brawl erupted between the two groups.
After a violent altercation in a hotel in Abu Dhabi, ten people were sentenced by the Emirati justice. According to the Georgian press, Usman Nurmagomedov is among those who received six months in prison.
Merab Dvalishvili, former UFC bantamweight champion, is giving an interview in the lobby of an Abu Dhabi hotel when Usman Nurmagomedov, former PFL lightweight champion, approaches him from behind and punches him in the face. Within seconds, the fight escalates into a fight involving other people. In the second part of the video, filmed and published by Dvalishvili himself after the attack, the Georgian fighter appears with a bloody face and tell…
Former UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili was injured after being assaulted by 10 people, including Usman Nurmagomedov, at a hotel in Abu Dhabi. The incident stemmed from a long-standing emotional conflict between Merab and Usman's brother, Umar, and the 10 perpetrators were arrested by local police.
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