MMA stars Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov fight in Abu Dhabi brawl
Former UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili and PFL lightweight titleholder Usman Nurmagomedov exchanged blows during a physical altercation Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.
Video shows slap from behind
Multiple videos circulating on social media show Nurmagomedov approaching Dvalishvili from behind to deliver a slap. The scene quickly became chaotic as members from both fighters camps joined the confrontation. Dvalishvili posted footage of his bloodied face after the scuffle occurred at the venue. He referred to the opposing team as snakes in a statement released online later that day.
Long feud leads to clash
This Wednesday confrontation marks the latest incident in a long-running dispute between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov family. Umar Nurmagomedov lost a bantamweight title fight to Dvalishvili in January 2025 before this recent event. The two camps previously had a brief altercation during an RAF event in Georgia back in July. Both Merab and Umar are scheduled to compete at the Real American Freestyle event on Saturday.
Fighters face upcoming opponents
Dvalishvili will face former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes while Nurmagomedov wrestles Urijah Faber in their respective matches. Usman Nurmagomedov is currently in restricted free agency with speculation about fighting in the UFC in 2027. Ilia Topuria shared video of the encounter online because he is friends with Dvalishvili. The incident happened while Dvalishvili was preparing for his Saturday bout at the Real American Freestyle event.
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