A heated confrontation between former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and Russian fighter Usman Nurmagomedov ahead of the Real American Freestyle (RAF) event in Abu Dhabi has reportedly led to both fighters being questioned by police.

Dvalishvili later shared a video on social media showing him with a bloodied face while receiving medical attention. He alleged that Nurmagomedov and his associates attacked him and a friend from behind.

“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,” Dvalishvili wrote.

According to a report by The National, both fighters and others involved in the altercation were taken for questioning by Abu Dhabi police on Wednesday. The report cited MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, who said everyone involved was still being detained by local authorities at the time of his update.

A similar heated incident took place in Georgia earlier this year, when Dvalishvili was involved in a backstage altercation with Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, an associate of the Nurmagomedov brothers. Dvalishvili slapped Gadzhimagomedov during the confrontation, which escalated into a scuffle.

Dvalishvili and Usman are not scheduled to face each other at RAF Abu Dhabi. The Georgian is set to take on former UFC fighter Marlon Moraes, while Usman is not part of the fight card.

However, Usman’s brother Umar Nurmagomedov is scheduled to compete against former UFC fighter Urijah Faber.

Both Merab and Usman are also expected to share the room again during the RAF press conference on Thursday, November 12, raising questions about whether tensions could spill over once more.

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.