Merab Dvalishvili says he was beaten in Abu Dhabi hotel lobby
The former UFC champion claims Usman Nurmagomedov and associates attacked him during a media event while he was being interviewed.
By Fernando Rojas ·
Merab Dvalishvili says he and a friend were beaten in Abu Dhabi during a promotional event.
The former UFC bantamweight champion posted video on Wednesday showing him receiving medical attention. Both he and his friend appeared bruised and bloody in the footage. Dvalishvili stated they were jumped by a group associated with Usman Nurmagomedov while promoting Real American Freestyle. He described the attackers as arriving from behind while he and his companion were alone.
Ilia Topuria, a former two-division UFC champion, shared additional footage of the incident on social media. Topuria captioned the clip with the words, "You're a bunch of cowards, and you'll be held accountable for what you've done." He added, "You're anything but real men." The video includes a segment of a slap that was originally edited out of previous clips.
Dvalishvili provided details in a written post about the specific moments of the conflict. He wrote that he was in a hotel lobby for an interview when Nurmagomedov and his buddies approached from behind. He claimed multiple people held him down while others struck him. Dvalishvili noted that security was holding him while his attackers continued to kick him and his friend when they were on the ground.
The tension between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov brothers has existed since the lead-up to their January 2025 fight. Dvalishvili, who held the bantamweight title at the time, won that bout via unanimous decision. Usman Nurmagomedov is currently a free agent. He recently signed with the Professional Fighters League after a stint with Bellator. He has appeared at recent UFC events despite not being under contract with the promotion.
Usman and Umar Nurmagomedov are cousins. They are also pupils of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the retired former UFC champion and Hall of Famer. Khabib is known for leaping into the crowd after submitting Conor McGregor at UFC 229. That attack on Dillon Danis sparked multi-man brawls inside and outside the Octagon. The current dispute mirrors that history of physical confrontations among the fighters and their entourages.
Dvalishvili insisted in his video that he was fine for his friends and family. He called himself a fighter and criticized his attackers for their methods. He said, "We were fighting like real men and you guys was fighting like pussies." He questioned why they kicked his group while they were down. Dvalishvili ended his video by stating, "I'm a f, ng fighter."
