Usman Nurmagomedov Detained After Altercation with Merab Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi
Physical Confrontation Leads to Detention
In Abu Dhabi, a physical confrontation involving Russian MMA fighter Usman Nurmagomedov and former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has resulted in the detention of those involved for questioning, as reported by a Russian news agency.
Authorities are currently investigating the incident, which occurred on Wednesday in a hotel lobby where Dvalishvili is staying ahead of the upcoming Real American Freestyle (RAF) event scheduled for Saturday.
Following the altercation, Dvalishvili took to social media to claim that Nurmagomedov and his team attacked him and a friend while he was conducting an interview.
He stated, "While I was giving an interview in the hotel lobby, Usman and his associates approached from behind and began assaulting me and my young friend. Security was trying to hold me back, but they continued to kick us while we were down," on his X account.
Videos of the incident quickly spread across social media, showing Nurmagomedov approaching Dvalishvili from behind and striking him, which led to a scuffle involving multiple individuals from both sides.
Dvalishvili later posted a video revealing his injured face and swollen left eye, expressing his discontent with how the situation unfolded. He referred to Nurmagomedov and his team as "snakes," criticizing their tactics of attacking from behind.
This incident adds to the ongoing tensions between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov camp. In January 2025, Dvalishvili had previously defeated Usman's older brother, Umar Nurmagomedov, to defend his UFC bantamweight title, although he later lost it to Petr Yan, the current champion.
Both fighters are set to compete at the RAF event on Saturday, with Dvalishvili facing former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes and Umar taking on former UFC champion Urijah Faber.
Usman Nurmagomedov, aged 28, is the reigning PFL lightweight champion and maintains an impressive professional MMA record of 22 wins without a loss. He is also a second cousin to former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Dvalishvili, now 35, captured the UFC bantamweight championship in 2024 and has established himself as a top contender in the division before losing the title to Yan.