Merab Dvalishvili has been released from a police station in Abu Dhabi and says he is healthy and ready to compete. He thanked everyone in Abu Dhabi for helping resolve the situation and said he did not press any charges. Dvalishvili said he hopes everyone involved is released. He and Saba Lazishvili trained with Giga Chikadze ahead of their fights on Saturday.
Merab Dvalishvili has been released from a police station in Abu Dhabi and says he is healthy and ready to compete. The bantamweight contender thanked everyone in the city who helped resolve the situation and said he did not press any charges. He added that he hopes everyone involved is released as well.
The report did not detail what led to his time at the station. Dvalishvili and Saba Lazishvili had trained with Giga Chikadze ahead of their fights on Saturday.
The fighters involved
Dvalishvili, 35, is the number one ranked bantamweight and sits second in the pound-for-pound rankings. His record stands at 21-6-0. The Georgian fights out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team and is known above all for relentless wrestling: he averages 5.74 takedowns per 15 minutes, while landing 4.48 significant strikes per minute at 41 percent accuracy.
His recent form is worth noting. His most recent recorded fight was a unanimous decision loss to Petr Yan in a title fight at UFC 333 on October 24, 2026. That followed another unanimous decision loss to Yan at UFC 323 on December 6, 2025, also for the title. Before those two defeats, he beat Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision at UFC 320 on October 4, 2025.
Chikadze, 38, is a fellow Georgian who fights out of Kings MMA. He is 15-7-0 and a striker by trade, landing 3.75 significant strikes per minute at 43 percent accuracy, with just 0.18 takedowns per 15 minutes. His most recent recorded fight was a first-round KO/TKO loss to Joanderson Brito at UFC 331 on September 19, 2026.
Lazishvili is a Georgian prospect with a 3-0-0 record.
Why it matters
- Dvalishvili says he is healthy and ready, which suggests the episode has not derailed his preparation.
- He has lost his last two recorded fights, both title bouts against Yan, so his next appearance carries weight for his standing.
- The camp with Chikadze and Lazishvili points to a tight-knit Georgian group preparing together for Saturday's fights.
