Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili involved in Abu Dhabi hotel brawl

Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov were involved in a mass brawl in a hotel lobby in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, after video appeared to show Nurmagomedov slap Dvalishvili from behind, BBC Sport reports.

The footage showed the two men and members of their teams fighting. Dvalishvili later posted a video on TikTok showing his bloodied face as he received treatment. He called Nurmagomedov and his team “snakes” and challenged them to fight “the real way”.

Dvalishvili, 35, is due to compete at a Real American Freestyle event in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday against Brazilian Marlon Moraes. Nurmagomedov, 28, is a free agent after his last fight with the PFL and has been linked with a move to the UFC.

The incident follows an altercation between the camps before a Real American Freestyle event in July. UFC champion Islam Makhachev, a friend and training partner of the Nurmagomedovs, suggested the earlier clash led to Wednesday’s fight. He accused Dvalishvili of starting the dispute by hitting a Dagestani wrestler and insulting Nurmagomedov’s mother.

UFC two-weight champion Ilia Topuria, a friend of Dvalishvili, shared the footage and said Nurmagomedov had reportedly been detained alongside others involved. The BBC report did not independently confirm that claim.