Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is accusing Usman Nurmagomedov and several associates of assaulting him and a companion during a media event in Abu Dhabi. The confrontation occurred while Dvalishvili was promoting Real American Freestyle. The former two-division UFC champion Ilia Topuria amplified the controversy by uploading video footage of the incident to social media.
Topuria accompanied the clip with a caption that read, "You're a bunch of cowards, and you'll be held accountable for what you've done." He further stated, "You're anything but real men." The video shows the moment Dvalishvili was attacked, including a slap that was reportedly edited out of previous versions of the footage.
Dvalishvili posted his own video on Wednesday, appearing to be attended to by medical professionals. In the footage, he and his friend are visibly bloodied and bruised. Dvalishvili claimed that they were jumped by Usman Nurmagomedov's team while in Abu Dhabi. He described the approach as sudden and deceptive, noting that only two of them were present when the group of attackers arrived.
"What a sneaky way, guys. Just two of us, me and my friend, came here in Abu Dhabi, and Usman Nurmagomedov and his friends came like snakes from behind," Dvalishvili said in the video. He questioned the character of his opponents, asking, "What kind of fighters you guys are? What kind of man does this, bro?" He expressed frustration that they would attack two people from behind, stating, "If you want to fight, let's do it like the real way."
In a written post on social media, Dvalishvili provided further details about the timeline of the assault. He stated that he was conducting an interview for Real American Freestyle in a hotel lobby when Usman Nurmagomedov and his friends approached from behind. Dvalishvili wrote that they began punching him and his young friend. He noted that security personnel were holding him down, while the attackers continued to kick them when they were on the ground.
"Security was holding me, they kept kicking us when we were down like losers," Dvalishvili wrote. He maintained that he and his companion fought like real men, contrasting their effort with what he perceived as the cowardly tactics of the Nurmagomedov team. He lamented that his attackers were kicking them while they were down, calling the behavior characteristic of "pussies."
Despite the injuries, Dvalishvili insisted that he was fine and reassured his friends and family. "I'm fine, guys, all my friends and family, I'm fine," he said. He reaffirmed his identity as a fighter, adding, "I'm a f, ng fighter." He emphasized that he is a real guy who talks, but criticized the sneakiness of the attack, saying, "I'm a real guy, I talk shit, but you guys came from behind, bro."
Tensions between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov brothers have been high since the lead-up to their January 2025 fight. Dvalishvili, who was the UFC bantamweight champion at the time, successfully defended his title via unanimous decision. Usman Nurmagomedov is currently a free agent who recently signed with the Professional Fighters League after his tenure with Bellator. He has been a visible presence at recent UFC events.
Usman Nurmagomedov and Umar Nurmagomedov are cousins and pupils of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the retired former UFC champion and Hall of Famer. Khabib is well known for his passionate involvement in fights, most famously leaping into the crowd to attack Dillon Danis after submitting Conor McGregor at UFC 229, an incident that sparked multi-man brawls both inside and outside the Octagon.
