Merab’s mystery teammate from the Abu Dhabi hotel brawl is Saba Lazishvili 🇬🇪 Merab says Usman Nurmagomedov and his crew came up from behind and went after him and his young friend. That friend is a Georgian wrestler who trains with Merab, Aljamain Sterling and the Syndicate MMA team. It runs in the family too. His older brother Zviad is a former LFA champ who fought in the UFC and worked Merab’s corner at UFC 333. Should Saba make the jump to MMA? #MerabDvalishvili #UFC #MMA
Merab Dvalishvili says Usman Nurmagomedov and his crew attacked him from behind during a hotel brawl in Abu Dhabi, and that his teammate was caught up in it too. That teammate is Georgian wrestler Saba Lazishvili, who trains with Dvalishvili, Aljamain Sterling and the Syndicate MMA team.
According to Dvalishvili's account, Nurmagomedov and the people with him came up behind the pair and went after both men. Lazishvili is described as a young friend of the former champion, which makes him the second Georgian involved in the incident. The story adds that Lazishvili comes from a fighting family: his older brother Zviad is a former LFA champion who competed in the UFC and worked Dvalishvili's corner at UFC 333.
The fighters
Dvalishvili, 35, is a Georgian bantamweight with a 21-6-0 record, currently ranked number one in his division and number two in the pound-for-pound list. Standing five-foot-six with a 68-inch reach, 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 was a unanimous-decision loss to Petr Yan in a title bout at UFC 333 on October 24, 2026. That followed another five-round decision loss to Yan at UFC 323 in December 2025, so he has dropped two straight title fights, both to the same opponent, after beating Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320.
Nurmagomedov, 27, is unbeaten at 22-0-0 and sits 14th in the pound-for-pound rankings. The Russian stands five-foot-eleven with a 71-inch reach, giving him three inches in height and three inches in reach over Dvalishvili. His recorded striking numbers are modest in volume, 0.33 significant strikes landed per minute, though he connects at 52.78 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- The accusation involves two high-profile fighters and could draw attention from the UFC and local authorities, though the story does not report any official response.
- Dvalishvili comes off back-to-back losses to Yan, so his name is in the headlines for reasons beyond the cage.
- Lazishvili's family background has already prompted the question of whether he should move into MMA.
The report so far rests on Dvalishvili's version of events, and no statement from Nurmagomedov is included.
