Usman Nurmagomedov attacks Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi hotel brawl
Russian fighter Usman Nurmagomedov attacked Georgian former UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili in a hotel lobby in Abu Dhabi on November 11, leading to a mass brawl and the arrest of all participants. The incident was linked to a prior conflict in Tbilisi where Dvalishvili had assaulted a Dagestani wrestler.
Consensus
- The altercation occurred on November 11 in the lobby of a hotel in Abu Dhabi.
- Usman Nurmagomedov was involved in a physical fight with Merab Dvalishvili.
- Other participants, including friends of Nurmagomedov, were involved in the brawl.
- All participants were detained by police for questioning.
- The incident took place before the Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling tournament scheduled for November 14.
- Merab Dvalishvili was injured during the fight, reportedly sustaining a facial injury.
- Dvalishvili claimed he was attacked from behind and continued to be assaulted while on the ground.
- The conflict is connected to a prior incident in July 2026 in Tbilisi, where Dvalishvili struck Dagestani wrestler Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov.
Points of divergence
- Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman's older brother, was present at the scene after the fight ended, though he was not seen in video footage. — vm
- The fight involved four men initially attacking Dvalishvili and Sabas Lazishvili, including Tagir Ulanbekov and Amru Magomedov. — vm
- One of the participants held Usman down while he continued to attack Dvalishvili. — vm
- Ilyas Topuria, former UFC champion, called the attackers 'cowards' and later deleted his post. — fontanka
- Shawn Strickland and Renato Moyano criticized the attack, calling it a disgrace to MMA. — fontanka
- Alexander Volkov criticized the fight as a poor way to resolve disputes but did not fully condemn it. — fontanka
- Islam Makhachev blamed Dvalishvili for starting the conflict and defended Usman Nurmagomedov. — riamo
- Usman Nurmagomedov struck Dvalishvili with a slap during an interview. — riamo
- Usman Nurmagomedov and his associates attacked Dvalishvili from behind and continued kicking him while he was on the ground. — tg_dwglavnoe
- If found guilty, Usman Nurmagomedov could face up to one year in prison or a fine of about $2,700 under UAE law. — tg_dwglavnoe
- Dvalishvili fought Umar Nurmagomedov in January 2025, winning the bout. — vesti
Coverage (9 sources)
- In Abu Dhabi, Dagestani fighter Usman Nurmagomedov fought with Georgian fighter Merab Dvalishvili. They and other participants... — Кавказ.Реалии
- Makhachev supported Nurmagomedov after fight with Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi — РИАМО
- Mass brawl with Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi hotel: what is known, who is at fault, reasons for the conflict — Вечерняя Москва
- A handful of shorts or karma? How the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tigran Dvalishvi split the fighting world — Фонтанка
- In Abu Dhabi, Dagestani fighter Usman Nurmagomedov fought with Georgian fighter Merab Dvalishvili. They and other participants... — Кавказ.Реалии
- Russian fighter Nurmagomedov attacked Abudhabi fighter from Georgia Dvalishvili — DW Главное
- Blood, mass brawl and arrests. A scandal erupted in Abu Dhabi around Nurmagomedov — Фонтанка
- Media: Nurmagomedov and other participants of the fight with Dvalishili were detained in UAE — Вести
- Dvalishvili accused Usman Nurmagomedov of attacking him in Abu Dhabi — Вести
Key entities
- Usman Nurmagomedov
- Meraba Dvalishvili
- Abu Dhabi
- UFC
- UAE
- Islam Makhachev
- Moscow
- TASS
- X
- Georgia
- RAF
- Media
- Gazeta.ru