Merab Dvalishvili, Usman Nurmagomedov brawl in Abu Dhabi ahead of RAF event

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.

The incident took place on Wednesday at a hotel in Abu Dhabi, where Dvalishvili was recording an interview ahead of his appearance at RAF Abu Dhabi. Video footage circulating on social media showed Nurmagomedov approaching the Georgian fighter with a group of men before striking him, triggering a brawl involving members of both camps.

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.

An official source within the Abu Dhabi Police stated that security authorities have summoned all parties involved in the altercation for questioning. This action was taken because the incident occurred in a public space—the hotel lobby—and was captured on camera, even though the Georgian fighter, Merab Dvalishvili, did not file a formal complaint.

As of now, the Abu Dhabi Police have not issued an official statement regarding the incident.

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.

Merab is expected to attend the RAF press conference on Thursday, November 12. Usman's appearance is still not confirmed as he has no association with the organsiation except the link through his brother. RAF will also issue a statement regarding the situation during the press conference.

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.