Russian MMA fighter Usman Nurmagomedov and all those involved in the altercation with Georgian fighter and former UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili have been detained in Abu Dhabi. This was reported by TASS, citing its source.
According to the agency's source, those involved in the fight were detained so that the circumstances of the incident could be established.
The day before, Dvalishvili said on social media that Nurmagomedov and his friends had attacked him and his companion in a hotel lobby.
"I was doing an interview for RAF in the hotel lobby, and Usman and his buddies came up from behind and started beating me and my young friend. Security was holding me back — they kept kicking us when we were down," the Georgian fighter wrote.
Dvalishvili also said that the attackers had crept up on them from behind, accused them of cowardice and offered to settle the matter "fairly". In the footage he published, his left eye appears badly swollen. At the time of publication, Usman Nurmagomedov and his team had not commented on the accusations.
In January 2025, Dvalishvili fought Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman's brother. The Georgian fighter won and defended the UFC bantamweight title. He subsequently lost twice to Petr Yan, who now holds the belt.
28-year-old Usman Nurmagomedov is a second cousin of former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. His professional record stands at 22 wins and no defeats.
Dvalishvili is 35 years old; in 2024 he won the UFC bantamweight title.
