A brawl involving former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and Russian fighter Usman Nurmagomedov at an Abu Dhabi hotel on Wednesday has prompted security authorities to summon all parties for questioning.
The altercation took place in a hotel lobby where Dvalishvili was recording an interview ahead of his appearance at the Real American Freestyle event. Video circulating on social media showed Nurmagomedov approaching the Georgian fighter with a group of men before striking him, setting off a wider brawl between both camps.
Dvalishvili subsequently posted a video showing him bloodied and receiving medical attention. “Was doing an interview for RAF in hotel lobby and Usman and his buddies came up from behind and started punching me and my young friend,” he wrote.
An official source within Abu Dhabi Police told Gulf News that authorities summoned all parties involved because the incident occurred in a public space and was captured on camera, even though Dvalishvili did not file a formal complaint. The Abu Dhabi Police have not issued a public statement on the matter.
Two-weight UFC champion Ilia Topuria, a friend of Dvalishvili, shared the footage of the incident via X. “Usman has reportedly been detained, along with the cowards who were with him. And these are the same people who dare to preach about humility and respect? What a disgrace. A bunch of absolute 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 said in his post.
The two fighters are not scheduled to face each other at RAF Abu Dhabi. Dvalishvili is set to meet former UFC fighter Marlon Moraes, while Usman has no place on the fight card. His brother Umar Nurmagomedov, however, is scheduled to compete against former UFC fighter Urijah Faber at Etihad Arena on Saturday, November 14.
RAF said it would address the situation at a press conference on Thursday. The event is proceeding as planned, though it remains unclear whether Wednesday’s incident or the subsequent police questioning will affect any fighter’s participation.
The confrontation follows a separate backstage altercation in Georgia earlier this year, in which Dvalishvili clashed with Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, an associate of the Nurmagomedov brothers.
