UFC CEO Dana White did not hold back his frustration after witnessing footage of a physical altercation involving PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, former UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili, and several others in Abu Dhabi.
Hotel Brawl and Arrests
The incident occurred at the athlete hotel ahead of the Real American Freestyle event when Nurmagomedov reportedly confronted Dvalishvili and a friend. Following the altercation, everyone involved—including reporters who shared the footage online—was arrested on Wednesday and remains in custody. Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, released a public apology for his client’s actions. When questioned about the situation during the UFC 334 pre-fight press conference in New York, White condemned the behavior.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” White said according to sports.yahoo.com. “It’s stupid and they’re all in jail. That is not a place to go f*ck around.”
Contract Status and Future Speculation
Nurmagomedov finished his PFL contract with a victory over Archie Colgan in July, making his upcoming free agency a prominent topic in the sport. Given that he is the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, White was asked if the incident would impact any future interest from the UFC once the fighter becomes completely available on the open market.
“He’s still under contract,” White stated. “We’re not talking to him right now anyways.”
