Usman Nurmagomedov approached Merab Dvalishvili during an interview in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and slapped the former UFC bantamweight champion, setting off a melee. Members of Nurmagomedov's team, including his brother Umar Nurmagomedov, joined the altercation with Dvalishvili and a friend beside him. RAF security officials struggled to regain control before the fighters were separated. The incident came ahead of RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday and drew heavy criticism from fellow professionals.
Usman Nurmagomedov slapped Merab Dvalishvili during an interview in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, triggering a brawl days before RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday, MMA Fighting reported.
Usman Nurmagomedov approached Dvalishvili, the former UFC bantamweight champion, and struck him mid-interview. Members of Nurmagomedov's team, including his brother Umar Nurmagomedov, then joined the altercation against Dvalishvili and a friend standing beside him. RAF security officials struggled to regain control before the fighters were separated. The incident drew heavy criticism from fellow professionals.
Usman Nurmagomedov, 27, is unbeaten at 22-0 and ranks 14th in the pound-for-pound standings. The Russian stands five-foot-eleven with a 71-inch reach.
Dvalishvili, 35, is 21-6 and sits atop the bantamweight rankings, with a pound-for-pound ranking of second. The Georgian from the Serra-Longo Fight Team is known for relentless wrestling, averaging 5.74 takedowns per 15 minutes. His most recent recorded fight was a unanimous decision loss to Petr Yan in a title bout on October 24, 2026, his second straight defeat to Yan.
Umar Nurmagomedov, 30, is 20-2 and ranked fourth at bantamweight. He is coming off a second-round KO/TKO loss to Song Yadong on August 29, 2026, his most recent recorded fight. He also has history with Dvalishvili: the two met at UFC 311 on January 18, 2025, and Dvalishvili won a unanimous decision over five rounds. Umar's presence in the melee adds a competitive backstory to the confrontation.
Why it matters
- Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov have already fought, and the Georgian took a five-round decision, so tension between the camps predates this incident.
- Both Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov are bantamweight contenders, which gives any lingering feud direct divisional relevance.
- The brawl came just days before RAF Abu Dhabi, putting event security and the promotion under scrutiny.
The size gap between the two principals is notable on paper. Usman Nurmagomedov is three inches taller than Dvalishvili at five-foot-eleven to five-foot-six, and his reach is 71 inches to Dvalishvili's 68.
