Pro fighters Merab Dvalishvili in a video (after being assaulted in Abu Dhabi); and Usman Nurmagomedov (file photo). Screenshot and photo courtesy: Instagram; Collage: Pixlr
Two well-known professional fighters — Merab Dvalishvili of the former Soviet nation of Georgia; and Usman Nurmagomedov of Russia — were in a brawl, started by the latter, in an Abu Dhabi hotel. The incident led to at least 10 arrests in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.
MMA news outlets reported this as a family feud, triggered by Merab’s allegedly insulting comments, made earlier this year, about Usman’s brother.
The video of the fight on Wednesday between the pro fighters has gone viral. In a reaction video on Instagram, Merab Dvalishvili is seen with a bloodied face, and he asks, “What kind of fighters you guys are?” referring to Usman Nurmagomedov.
A very agitated Dvalishvili goes on to say that people who sneak up on others, as Nurmagomedov did, are not real men.
The caption with this Instagram video said: “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.”
RAF is short for Real American Freestyle. Dvalishvili, a Georgian-American, is a bantamweight fighter.
Usman Nurmagomedov, a mixed martial champion, is a lightweight fighter who claimed the championship title in his category in the inaugural Professional Fighters League (PFL).
The viral video shows the Georgian-American fighter standing in what seems to be the hotel lobby area, facing a camera, with the Russian walking in behind him.
🚨 Video shows a brawl in an Abu Dhabi hotel lobby between former UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili and a group that includes Usman Nurmagomedov, ahead of Dvalishvili’s RAF match Saturday.
Dvalishvili says about 20 people jumped him and a friend during an interview.
The… pic.twitter.com/u77HApPkcX
— VIRTUE.NEWS (@virtuemediacorp) November 11, 2026
The video shows the Georgian becoming aware of the Russian behind him, turning around, and then almost immediately being assaulted, not once but twice. The two of them then go full tilt at each other, with people trying to pull them apart, saying, “Guy, guys, c’mon…”
Dubai-based Gulf News reported: “The RAF event will take place at Etihad Arena on Saturday, November 14. It remains to be seen whether Wednesday’s altercation or the police questioning will have any impact on the fighters’ participation in the event. But for the time being, the event will continue as planned.”
Explaining “the real beef” between the two fighters, the fight news website MMA Sucka said: “Merab and Usman have never fought in an official bout, as Merab competes at bantamweight in the UFC and Usman competes at lightweight in the PFL. Therefore, the root of the conflict was obviously something else. The reason why Usman attacked Merab was Merab’s ongoing feud with Usman’s older brother, Umar.”
Merab and Usman, though in different leagues and weight categories, reportedly had a match at UFC113 — that “Fight of the Night” performance, which Merab won, was the first professional loss for Usman, said MMA Sucka.
The website reported that in July this year, Merab said some things about Usman’s brother Umar at a RAF event “which didn’t sit right with one of Umar’s friends and training partners, Russian wrestler Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov”.
Reportedly, Ahmed “confronted” Merab and the latter slapped the Russian during the argument. The “unexpected hotel attack in Abu Dhabi” is, therefore, being viewed as “Usman’s retaliatory response” to Merab’s alleged insults “directed at Umar and his family”.