The MMA world is not taking the Merab hotel attack lightly š¤ After Merab said Usman Nurmagomedovās crew jumped him from behind in an Abu Dhabi hotel lobby, fighters started speaking up. Dakota Ditcheva hoped he was okay, Mike Perry told him to bring a squad next time, and Curtis Blaydes wants the UFC to drop the hammer. Then Topuria called them cowards and said Usman was reportedly detained, and Strickland went completely off on X. Usmanās camp still hasnāt responded. Who had the hardest reaction? #Merab #UsmanNurmagomedov #UFC
Fighters across the UFC roster have weighed in on an unconfirmed report that Merab was attacked in an Abu Dhabi hotel lobby, with Usman Nurmagomedov's camp named as the alleged aggressors. The reaction has built up over the past day, and Nurmagomedov's side has not yet publicly responded.
The story stems from Merab's own claim that members of Nurmagomedov's crew jumped him from behind in the lobby. None of the details have been officially confirmed, and the account remains one side of the story.
Among those speaking out, Dakota Ditcheva said she hoped Merab was okay. Mike Perry told him to bring a squad next time, while Curtis Blaydes called on the UFC to come down hard on those involved. Topuria branded the group cowards and said Nurmagomedov had reportedly been detained, a claim that also remains unverified. Strickland, meanwhile, unloaded on X.
The fighters involved
Nurmagomedov, 27, is unbeaten at 22-0 and ranked 14th in the pound-for-pound standings. The Russian stands five-foot-eleven with a 71-inch reach. His numbers are efficient rather than voluminous: he lands 0.33 significant strikes per minute at 52.78 percent accuracy, and averages 0.65 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Perry, 35, is 14-8 and fights out of the United States as an independent. His most recent recorded fight was a unanimous-decision loss to Daniel Rodriguez on April 10, 2021, his second straight defeat after a loss to Tim Means that November. Perry is far more active on the feet, landing 4.32 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy, roughly thirteen times Nurmagomedov's output.
Ditcheva, 28, is a 16-0 fighter from England. She lands 1.5 significant strikes per minute with 84.16 percent accuracy and averages 1.76 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- The UFC has not commented, and any disciplinary question would hinge on facts that are still disputed.
- Nurmagomedov's undefeated record and top-15 pound-for-pound standing mean any fallout would carry real divisional weight.
- Fighter reaction has run heavily one way, but it rests on a single account of the incident and an unconfirmed report of a detention.
Until Nurmagomedov's camp or the promotion addresses the claims, the reaction is outpacing the verified facts.
