UFC: Usman Nurmagomedov Slaps Merab Dvalishvili to Spark Mass Brawl in Abu Dhabi
Video shows Usman Nurmagomedov confronting Merab Dvalishvili during an interview, and local authorities were said to be detaining those involved.
- PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov slapped former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in an Abu Dhabi hotel lobby on Wednesday during an interview. Video footage shows Usman confronting Dvalishvili with associates before initiating the physical altercation.
- Tensions escalated after Dvalishvili defeated Umar at UFC 311 in January 2025, with prior friction surfacing when Dvalishvili slapped Usman's friend Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov backstage at RAF Georgia in August.
- MMA insider Ariel Helwani reported Wednesday that authorities are detaining everyone involved in the brawl. Dvalishvili posted footage showing his bloody face, calling his attackers "cowards" and "snakes" in response.
- Sharing footage on X, two-weight UFC champion Ilia Topuria wrote: "Usman has reportedly been detained, along with the cowards who were with him." Topuria labeled them "mediocre individuals."
- Dvalishvili and Umar remain scheduled to compete in separate fights at RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday, while Usman, a PFL free agent, has been linked to a potential UFC move.
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A slap in a hotel lobby sparked a fight between the two martial arts stars Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov, with the former ending up covered in blood. The post Abu Dhabi: Wild fight between UFC and PFL stars – The slap that ignited the blood [video] appeared first on in.gr.
The Independent
The Independent (US)Dvalishvili jumped by Khabib’s cousin to spark hotel brawl
Dvalishvili was filming an interview when PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov attacked him
An incredible incident took place in the lobby of a hotel in Abu Dhabi, starring famous UFC athletes. Specifically, former UFC bantamweight champion Ilya Topuria accuses Usman Nurmagomedov and his team of attacking him on the sidelines of the RAF event in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. RAF, short for Real American Freestyle, is a new freestyle wrestling organization founded last year and includes current and former UFC stars. In the lobby of a…
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