Nurmagomedov slaps Dvalishvili to spark hotel brawl
A physical altercation occurred in an Abu Dhabi hotel between UFC fighter Merab Dvalishvili and PFL champion Usman Nurmagomedov. The incident follows ongoing tensions between the two camps and has sparked public accusations of cowardice and unprofessional behavior.
Why it matters
The brawl highlights the intense personal and professional rivalries within the combat sports industry, which often spill over into public spaces.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Merab Dvalishvili (left) has won 21 of his 27 professional fights
Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov were involved in a mass brawl in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
A video of the incident appeared to show Russian Nurmagomedov slap Dvalishvili after approaching the Georgian from behind.
Fighting then broke out between the two and members of their teams in a hotel lobby.
Dvalishvili, 35, is scheduled to compete at the Real American Freestyle (RAF) event in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, against Brazilian Marlon Moraes.
Dvalishvili called Nurmagomedov, 28, and his team "snakes" in a video he later shared on TikTok as he received treatment on his bloodied face.
"What a sneaky way, guys," Dvalishvili said.
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