Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) stars Merab Dvalishvili and Usman Nurmagomedov were involved in a brawl at a hotel in Abu Dhabi. Former UFC bantamweight champion Dvalishvili was seen bleeding from his forehead in a video he released on the social media platform Instagram, claiming that he was attacked by PFL lightweight champion Nurmagomedov and his friends during an interview for a Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling match at a hotel on Wednesday, November 11.

The video of the violent fight surfaced on social media, showing that both wrestlers and their companions were involved in physical altercations. 

Dvalishvili, in an Instagram post, alleged that Usman and his "buddies" attacked him and his friend from behind. "Security was holding me - They kept kicking us when we were down like losers," he wrote. The 36-year-old Former UFC champion was shown with blood coming from his nose, spread all over his face and severe swelling around his left eye.

Dvalishvili will face former UFC rival Marlon Moraes at RAF Abu Dhabi Wrestling on Saturday, November 14, at Etihad Arena. The Georgian fighter narrated that Usman and his friends attacked him from behind like snakes. “What kind of fighters are you? What kind of men are you?” Merab Dvalishvili said while a medic cleaned blood from his face in a video.

💥 Full footage of the WILD BRAWL between Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili https://t.co/TlKQ9seDXN

— BRICS + World (@BricsPlusWorld) November 11, 2026

He added, “We bleed, we fight, we work. You guys are just sneaky guys; you are not real men. What the f**k, if you want to fight, let's fight. We are fighters, bro.”

Dvalishvili said around 20 people from Usman Nurmagomedov were involved in the incident. He challenged Nurmagomedov to settle the issue in a fight rather than ambushing him from behind. He said he had been left with significant damage, although no official medical update has been released.

Usman Nurmagomedov is the elder brother of Umar Nurmagomedov and cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who lost a bantamweight title fight to Dvalishvili in 2025, approached Dvalishvili from behind and slapped him in the face. Former UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, who is friends with Dvalishvili, shared a video of the encounter online. 

Both Merab and Umar's fights are scheduled for Saturday at RAF Abu Dhabi. Dvalishvili faces former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes, while Nurmagomedov will wrestle former UFC champion Urijah Faber.