Chaos erupted in an Abu Dhabi hotel lobby on Wednesday. PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov stormed up from behind and slapped former UFC bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili across the face, detonating an all-out melee days before both camps step onto the wrestling mats.
The room splintered into violence within seconds. At least six men threw punches and wrestled across the floor as security struggled to peel the factions apart. Dvalishvili had been seated mid-interview promoting Saturday’s Real American Freestyle (RAF) event when Usman—the younger brother of Dvalishvili’s bitter rival Umar Nurmagomedov—ambushed him unprovoked.
Dvalishvili charged back immediately. Yet hotel security intercepted him, creating an opening for rival camp members to swarm.
Minutes after the melee dissolved, Dvalishvili took to social media to show the physical toll. Blood dripped across his face as medical personnel patched his cuts. Footage circulating online—amplified by close ally and former UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria—captured Usman creeping into frame before unleashing the open-hand strike.
Dvalishvili blasted the ambush on Instagram:
Was doing an interview for RAF in hotel lobby and Usman and his buddies came up from behind and started punching me and my young friend. Security was holding me
They kept kicking us when we were down like losers."
In a second video, Dvalishvili leveled his fury directly at Usman’s crew, branding them "snakes" who abandoned fighter codes.
What a sneaky way, guys. What kind of fighters you guys are? What kind of man does this? If you want to try, let's do it the real way.
Bad blood between the Georgian wrestling machine and the Dagestani stable runs deep. In January 2025, Dvalishvili outpointed Umar Nurmagomedov in the cage, capping weeks of venomous sparring where the Georgian branded Umar "spoiled" and accused his corner of systemic disrespect.
Tensions flared again in July during another RAF meet in Georgia, where both entourages traded shoves backstage. Wednesday’s brawl turned that lingering bitterness into open street violence.
| Fighter | Current / Former Title | Weekend RAF Opponent | Rivalry History |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merab Dvalishvili | Former UFC Bantamweight Champion | Marlon Moraes | Defeated Umar Nurmagomedov in Jan 2025 |
| Usman Nurmagomedov | PFL Lightweight Champion | Not competing on card | Brother of Umar; initiated Wednesday slap |
| Umar Nurmagomedov | Bantamweight Contender | Urijah Faber | Lost to Dvalishvili in Jan 2025; RAF co-headliner |
Both combatants remain officially slated to wrestle on Saturday night in Abu Dhabi. Dvalishvili takes on former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes, while Umar Nurmagomedov squares off against Hall of Famer Urijah Faber under the RAF banner.