Dana White addressed the brawl involving Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili at the UFC 334 press conference, calling it "absolutely ridiculous stupidity" and saying everyone involved ended up in jail. He stressed the UAE is not a place for such behavior. Asked whether the incident hurt Nurmagomedov's chances of reaching the UFC, White said Nurmagomedov remains under contract with another promotion and that the UFC is not currently negotiating with him.
UFC CEO Dana White has shut down any suggestion that Usman Nurmagomedov is close to a UFC deal, addressing the brawl between Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili at the UFC 334 press conference. White called the altercation "absolutely ridiculous stupidity" and said everyone involved ended up in jail.
White stressed that the UAE is not a place for that kind of behavior. Asked whether the incident damaged Nurmagomedov's chances of reaching the UFC, he said the Russian remains under contract with another promotion and that the UFC is not currently negotiating with him.
UFC 334 is scheduled for November 14.
The fighters
Nurmagomedov, 27, is unbeaten at 22-0 and sits 14th in the pound-for-pound rankings. He stands five-foot-eleven with a 71-inch reach. His numbers point to a patient, precise striker: he lands 0.33 significant strikes per minute at 52.78 percent accuracy, and averages 0.65 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Dvalishvili, 35, is a Georgian bantamweight ranked number one in the division and second pound-for-pound. His record stands at 21-6, and he trains with the Serra-Longo Fight Team. He is a pressure grappler, averaging 5.74 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing 4.48 significant strikes per minute at 41 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Reach and height: Nurmagomedov is six inches taller than Dvalishvili's five-foot-six and owns a seven-inch reach advantage, 71 inches to 68.
- Output gap: Dvalishvili lands more than 13 times as many significant strikes per minute, 4.48 to 0.33, and attempts nearly nine times as many takedowns per 15 minutes.
- Recent form: Dvalishvili's most recent recorded fight was a unanimous decision loss to Petr Yan on October 24 at UFC 333, a title fight. It was his second straight loss to Yan, after a unanimous decision defeat on December 6, 2025.
- Contract status: By White's account, Nurmagomedov is bound to another promotion, so any UFC move would need that situation resolved first, and the UFC is not in talks.
White's comments make clear the UFC is not treating the incident as a path to a signing. With Nurmagomedov still under contract elsewhere and no negotiations underway, his unbeaten record remains outside the UFC for now.
Saturday, November 14, 2026
