Paul Hughes has weighed in on the brawl involving Merab Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedovs, calling it "just a disgrace." He said such behavior cannot go unpunished and added that some would call it "steroid rage."
Paul Hughes has publicly condemned the brawl involving Merab Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov camp, calling the incident "just a disgrace" and arguing that those involved should face punishment.
Hughes said such behavior cannot go unpunished. He also noted that some people would put the conduct down to "steroid rage," a remark that adds a pointed edge to his criticism. The comments came on November 11, 2026.
Who is Paul Hughes?
Hughes, nicknamed "BIG NEWS," is a 28-year-old Irish fighter with a 14-2 record. He stands five-foot-nine and has a 70-inch reach. His recorded striking numbers show 0.3 significant strikes landed per minute at 57 percent accuracy, though those figures reflect a very small sample. He is not directly involved in the brawl and is weighing in as an outside voice.
Who is Merab Dvalishvili?
Dvalishvili, 35, is a Georgian bantamweight who trains with the Serra-Longo Fight Team. He holds a 21-6 record and is ranked number one in the bantamweight division and number two in the pound-for-pound standings. He is known for relentless wrestling, averaging 5.74 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 4.48 significant strikes landed per minute at 41 percent accuracy.
His most recent recorded fight came on October 24, 2026, at UFC 333, where he lost a unanimous decision to Petr Yan in a five-round title fight. That followed another unanimous-decision loss to Yan at UFC 323 on December 6, 2025. Before those two defeats, he beat Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision at UFC 320 on October 4, 2025.
Why it matters
- Hughes is pressing for disciplinary action, putting public pressure on the organizations involved to respond to the brawl.
- Dvalishvili's two straight losses to Yan came in title fights, so any penalty could affect a bantamweight standing that still has him at number one.
- Hughes' "steroid rage" line is a remark about the incident, not a claim backed by any finding.
Hughes' comments land amid wider debate over how combat sports should handle off-the-cage conduct, particularly when it involves some of the sport's most recognizable names and camps.
