Usman Nurmagomedov slaps Merab Dvalishvili to spark hotel brawl in Abu Dhabi

PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov was involved in a mass brawl with former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili at a hotel in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Footage circulating on social media shows Nurmagomedov approaching the Georgian fighter from behind while he was conducting an interview before slapping him across the face. A fight then broke out involving members of both fighters' entourages.

Dvalishvili later shared footage showing him with a bloodied face while receiving medical treatment. He accused Nurmagomedov and his associates of attacking him and a friend from behind.

The 35-year-old described the incident as cowardly and challenged his opponents to face him in a fair fight.

The confrontation comes amid an ongoing feud between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov camp, which intensified after his victory over Usman's brother, Umar, at UFC 311 in January 2025.

UFC star Ilia Topuria also shared footage of the incident and claimed that Nurmagomedov and several members of his group had been detained. Reports subsequently suggested that those involved were questioned by local authorities.

Dvalishvili is scheduled to face former UFC fighter Marlon Moraes at the Real American Freestyle event in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, November 14. It remains unclear whether the incident will affect his participation.