Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili claimed he was attacked by fellow MMA fighters Usman Nurmagomedov and Umar Nurmagomedov, alongside several others, according to a disturbing video posted Wednesday morning from Abu Dhabi and reported by sports.yahoo.com.
The Video and Alleged Attack
In the footage, Dvalishvili appears with heavy facial bleeding and his left eye nearly swollen shut, receiving attention from apparent medical personnel. Dvalishvili and an accompanying friend, who also displayed facial bruising, alleged that the two Nurmagomedov brothers ambushed them from behind inside a hotel lobby with a group of multiple men.
Shortly after the incident, former two-division UFC champion Ilia Topuria shared footage that appeared to show the alleged altercation, seemingly backing up Dvalishvili’s statements. Topuria condemned the action in a post that was later deleted, calling the perpetrators cowards who would be held accountable and stating they were anything but real men.
Background and Rivalry
Both Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov traveled to Abu Dhabi for Saturday’s RAF freestyle wrestling event, where both athletes are booked to compete in separate matches. The two previously faced each other in January 2025 during a tense grudge match at UFC 311, where Dvalishvili secured a unanimous decision victory to successfully defend his UFC bantamweight title, continuing their feud over the subsequent 23 months.
Usman Nurmagomedov, who is Umar’s younger brother, holds the status of a former Bellator and PFL lightweight champion and currently operates as an MMA free agent.
In his full remarks recorded on video, Dvalishvili criticized the manner of the confrontation. “What a sneaky way, guys. Just two of us, me and my friend came here in Abu Dhabi, and Usman Nurmagomedov and his friends came like snakes from behind. What kind of fighters you guys are? What kind of man does this? If you want to talk or fight, let’s do it like the real way,” Dvalishvili stated, as reported by sports.yahoo.com. He added that the group attacked them from behind while heavily outnumbered and prepared.
Dvalishvili further stated, “I just came here in Abu Dhabi, and then Usman, Umar and his friends came from a sneaky way from behind to try to beat us — so many guys. Wow. I’m fine, guys. All my friends and family, I’m f***ing fine. I’m a fighter and this is nothing for me. But again, it shows what kind of people you guys are. … Like 20 guys against two guys, and even when we were down, kicking us.”
It remains uncertain at this time whether Dvalishvili or Umar Nurmagomedov will compete on Saturday’s RAF Abu Dhabi card, where Dvalishvili is scheduled to face Marlon Moraes in wrestling and Nurmagomedov is slated to face UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber.
