Fight week in Abu Dhabi just exploded.
Footage shows Merab Dvalishvili being approached from behind in a hotel lobby while filming promotional material for Real American Freestyle (RAF). A man identified by multiple outlets as Usman Nurmagomedov gets his attention and strikes him in the face. Within seconds, the lobby turns into a multi-person brawl.
It happened on Wednesday 11 November, three days before RAF Abu Dhabi.
What the footage shows
The most widely shared clip, first posted by Ilia Topuria and since deleted, shows Dvalishvili talking to camera as a group walks up behind him. Usman moves in and lands a strike to the head.
Then the clip cuts.
When it picks up again, the lobby is chaos. Dvalishvili and a friend are surrounded, punches are thrown, and the groups are eventually pulled apart. Because the video cuts, it doesn't show the whole fight from start to finish.
Merab: "They came up from behind"
Dvalishvili posted a video soon after while being treated, his face covered in blood.
"Usman and his buddies came up from behind and started punching me and my young friend," he wrote. "Security was holding me, they kept kicking us when we were down like losers."
He also named Umar Nurmagomedov among those involved and said around 20 people approached them. That is Dvalishvili's account. The public footage shows a group with a clear numbers advantage, but it doesn't confirm the number of attackers, the kicking allegation, or what Umar personally did.
Why this keeps happening
The bad blood goes back to UFC 311 in January 2025, when Dvalishvili beat Umar by unanimous decision to defend his bantamweight title.
It boiled over again at RAF Georgia in July. After Dvalishvili dismissed the idea of wrestling Umar, an associate of Umar's, Gadzhimagomedov, confronted him backstage. Dvalishvili slapped him and another brawl followed. Dvalishvili later said he was grabbed by the neck first; Umar's side disputes that.
Whether Wednesday's incident was payback for Georgia hasn't been established.
Is Usman in custody?
Topuria claimed in a since-deleted post that Usman had been detained. No police statement has confirmed an arrest or any charges, so treat that as unverified for now.
At the time of writing, neither Usman nor Umar has publicly responded, and RAF has not commented.
Is Merab still fighting?
RAF Abu Dhabi is still scheduled for Saturday 14 November at Etihad Arena. Dvalishvili is booked to wrestle Marlon Moraes, and Umar Nurmagomedov faces Urijah Faber on the same card. Dvalishvili says he's fine, but whether his injuries keep him out hasn't been confirmed.
Two rivals, one card, three days after a hotel brawl. This one isn't over.
What's your take? Drop it in the comments.
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