Merab Dvalishvili Still Detained in Abu Dhabi After Nurmagomedov Ambush
Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili remains in Abu Dhabi police custody after being attacked by Usman Nurmagomedov.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is still being held by Abu Dhabi police after being ambushed by Usman Nurmagomedov and a group of associates during a media event on Wednesday.
Dvalishvili was giving a promotional interview at a hotel lobby ahead of Real American Freestyle's debut event in Abu Dhabi when Usman Nurmagomedov and several others attacked him from behind, per CBS Sports and TMZ. Video of the incident shows multiple men striking and kicking Dvalishvili and a young friend who was with him. Both were left bloodied and bruised.
According to a friend of Dvalishvili who posted an Instagram video shared by Championship Rounds, police took the former champion directly from the hospital to a police station for questioning. The friend said Merab would be held for several more hours without access to his phone, and that family and friends were worried about his status.
Ariel Helwani reported Thursday morning that everyone involved in the altercation, including Dvalishvili and his friend, remained at the police station. MMA Sucka reported that Usman Nurmagomedov is also in police custody for further investigation. Abu Dhabi authorities have not issued an official statement or confirmed any formal charges.
Dvalishvili was scheduled to face Marlon Moraes at RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday, but that bout is now in serious doubt. An RAF representative told The National that officials would address the incident at Thursday's pre-match press conference.
The feud between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov camp traces back to his unanimous decision victory over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January 2025. Tensions escalated earlier this year when Dvalishvili was involved in a scuffle with one of Umar's teammates at an RAF event in Georgia.
This whole situation is disgusting, and I don't say that lightly. You've got a former UFC champion doing media for an event, and a group of guys jump him from behind in a hotel lobby. That's not a fight. That's a mob hit.
I get that the bad blood between Merab and the Nurmagomedov camp runs deep. The UFC 311 win over Umar was personal, and the backstage incident in Georgia added fuel. But nothing justifies an ambush during a press obligation. If you want to settle it, sign the contract and do it in the cage.
The fact that Merab is the one sitting in a police station after getting jumped is infuriating. His RAF fight against Moraes is probably gone now, and he loses a payday because somebody else decided to throw hands in a hotel lobby. The UAE doesn't play around with this stuff either. Everyone involved could be looking at real consequences, not just a slap on the wrist from an athletic commission.
