PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov threw hands, but not in the octagon, when he slapped former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili during an interview in a luxurious Abu Dhabi hotel lobby. Video footage posted Wednesday, November 11, shows the shocking incident that quickly escalated into a full-blown melee, and now, everyone involved is reportedly detained.
The Ambush in Abu Dhabi
You thought the drama was reserved for fight night? Think again. Merab Dvalishvili was just trying to do an interview in a slick Abu Dhabi hotel lobby when PFL champ Usman Nurmagomedov rolled up with his crew, got right in his face, and then, BAM, a slap that ignited a total brawl. Different social media clips show the chaos, but Championship Rounds on X caught Dvalishvili speaking to the camera, oblivious, until Nurmagomedov and his posse crashed the scene. You gotta see this to believe it.
Bad Blood Boils Over
Merab didn’t just take that hit. He hit back, hard, with a video on his Instagram showing off a bloody face as he got patched up. He and a buddy went off, calling Usman and his whole crew “cowards” and “snakes.” Dvalishvili was livid, asking, “What kind of fighters you guys are? What kind of man does this?” He called them out, saying, “If you want to talk or fight, let’s do it the real way. … We bleed, we fight, we win, but you guys are just sneaky guys. You guys not real men. It shows you guys’ character. It shows you guys not real men. … If you want to fight, fight.” This isn’t some random beef, either. Dvalishvili actually beat Usman’s brother, Umar Nurmagomedov, at UFC 311 back in January 2025. And get this: Merab *himself* slapped Usman’s friend, Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, backstage at RAF Georgia in August. This isn’t just a slap, it’s a feud years in the making between rival camps, and Usman is the cousin of UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov. The whole situation went from wild to serious real quick. MMA insider Ariel Helwani reported late Wednesday that “everyone involved in the hotel brawl is still being detained by the local authorities.” Talk about a mess.
So what happens next? Dvalishvili and Usman’s brother, Umar, are both scheduled for separate fights this Saturday, November 14, in RAF Abu Dhabi. With everyone involved in a hotel brawl, and currently detained, what does that mean for these fights? Can they even happen? This whole thing has exploded way beyond the octagon and into a real-life showdown, and the consequences could be massive for everyone involved. You gotta wonder if these guys will even make it to fight night.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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