Usman Nurmagomedov and his group brawl with Merab Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi

The lobby confrontation

On Wednesday, 11 November, Merab Dvalishvili was giving a pre-fight interview to the promoter's media in a hotel lobby in Abu Dhabi when, by his own account, Usman Nurmagomedov came up behind him. A video of the incident appeared to show Nurmagomedov slapping the Georgian, and the exchange quickly escalated into a brawl involving members of both camps. ABC reported that Dvalishvili and a friend faced a group of about twenty men from Dagestan led by Nurmagomedov, a cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, and that both were left bloodied. Dvalishvili said security staff held him while the group kept kicking him and his young companion after they had been knocked down. He later posted a video to TikTok, filmed while he was receiving treatment for his bloodied face, in which he called Nurmagomedov and his team snakes and asked:

“What kind of fighters you guys are? What kind of man does this? If you want to try, let's do it the real way.”

Detentions and possible penalties

Early reports said everyone involved in the fight had been detained and that police questioned Nurmagomedov. Chempionat, a Russian-language outlet, reported that under UAE law he could face up to one year in prison or a fine of about $2,700 if his guilt is established. Topuria also wrote that Nurmagomedov had reportedly been detained along with the people who were with him. Those penalties apply only after guilt is established, and no verdict has been reported so far.

A rivalry that predates the brawl

Russian-language reporting describes relations between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov family as tense for some time. Dvalishvili beat Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman's older brother, in a bantamweight title fight in January 2025. BBC reports an earlier altercation between the two camps before the RAF event in July. Islam Makhachev, a close friend and training partner of the Nurmagomedovs, suggested that the July incident had led to Wednesday's fight. He also claimed the trouble began in Dvalishvili's homeland, where Dvalishvili had hit a guest and insulted his mother, and asked why people had stayed silent when Dvalishvili struck a Dagestani wrestler.

Reactions from fighters

Ilia Topuria shared the footage on X and condemned the Nurmagomedov camp, calling the men cowards for attacking from behind and outnumbering Dvalishvili. In his post, he wrote:

“Honour, respect, and humility aren't words you preach. They're values you live by. And you've shown none of them.”

Israel Adesanya criticised the behaviour attributed to Nurmagomedov, while Dakota Ditcheva expressed solidarity with Dvalishvili and Marvin Vettori sided with him. Conor McGregor posted a social media jab that recalled the bus incident from his rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

What comes next

Dvalishvili is scheduled to face Brazilian Marlon Moraes at the RAF event in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, 14 November, and it is not yet clear whether the brawl will affect his participation. Umar Nurmagomedov is due to face American Urijah Faber on the same card. Usman Nurmagomedov is a free agent after his last PFL fight and has been heavily linked with a move to the UFC. Fanpage reports that Dvalishvili said he would not avoid a challenge, but that any settling of scores should take place under the agreed conditions.