Update: Abu Dhabi Police have since confirmed 10 arrests in connection with the brawl — eight people involved in the fight and two who filmed and shared the footage, according to the Times of India.
Usman Nurmagomedov, the unbeaten PFL lightweight champion, sparked a mass brawl in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday after slapping former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in a hotel lobby, three days before Dvalishvili is due to wrestle at Real American Freestyle’s Abu Dhabi event. Footage of the incident, posted by UFC star Ilia Topuria, shows Nurmagomedov approaching Dvalishvili from behind and striking him in the face before a multi-person fight breaks out.
Dvalishvili was recording an interview for Real American Freestyle in the lobby of the Yas Hilton when the confrontation happened. In a video he posted afterwards, the Georgian appeared bloodied and said he and his 21-year-old friend, wrestler Saba Lazishvili, had been attacked by a group of more than 20 people. Topuria, Dvalishvili’s close friend and fellow Georgian, shared 37 seconds of footage and branded Nurmagomedov and his entourage ‘cowards’, adding that Usman had ‘reportedly been detained’.
Police questioning, no charges yet
According to reporter Ariel Helwani, everyone involved in the altercation, including Dvalishvili and his friend, was taken to a police station for questioning. Helwani reported that Dvalishvili is not the one pressing charges, and that police became involved because the incident happened in a public place and was caught on camera. As of Thursday morning, Abu Dhabi Police had not confirmed any arrest and no charges had been announced.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation across the MMA world, with fighters and fans criticising Nurmagomedov for what many called a cheap shot and for the numbers involved. UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, a teammate of Nurmagomedov, defended him on social media, claiming Dvalishvili had ‘started’ the confrontation, and questioned what he saw as hypocrisy in the reaction.
What it means for fight week
As of Thursday morning, no match on the RAF Abu Dhabi card had been cancelled. Dvalishvili remains scheduled to wrestle Marlon Moraes in a catchweight crossover match at Etihad Arena on Saturday, November 14, in what would be his fourth RAF appearance. Nurmagomedov is not on the card, but his brother Umar is booked for his RAF debut against Urijah Faber, putting both camps in the same building again on Saturday. The event is headlined by Khamzat Chimaev against Colby Covington for the RAF cruiserweight crossover title.
The feud between the two sides has been brewing since Dvalishvili beat Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in 2025. Usman, who holds a professional record of 22 wins, no losses and one no-contest, retained the PFL lightweight title against Archie Colgan on July 31. His manager, Ali Abdelaziz, denied reports on November 11 that Nurmagomedov had signed with another promotion, saying the PFL’s exclusive negotiating period was still in effect. The unbeaten champion had been widely expected to join the UFC once his PFL deal expired, and the Abu Dhabi incident has now put that move in doubt.
