Merab Dvalishvili Bloodied After Alleged Attack by Usman Nurmagomedov During Abu Dhabi Hotel Interview

Merab Dvalishvili was reportedly attacked by a group led by Usman Nurmagomedov while conducting an interview in a hotel lobby prior to the upcoming RAF Abu Dhabi event. Dvalishvili is scheduled to face Marlon Moraes on Saturday night as part of the promotion's inaugural card in the Middle East. A video, initially shared by UFC fighter Ilia Topuria and later deleted, depicted Dvalishvili speaking to the camera when he was approached from behind by a group headed by Nurmagomedov. The footage showed Dvalishvili turning to confront the Russian fighter, who then struck him, leading to a scuffle.

Following the incident, Dvalishvili posted a video on his social media channels, expressing his anger while medics attended to his injuries. The Georgian fighter sustained at least one cut to his head, resulting in a bloodied face. Dvalishvili stated in a caption accompanying the video, "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."

It is currently uncertain whether Dvalishvili's injuries will impact his scheduled wrestling match at Etihad Arena on Saturday. The RAF has been approached by The National for a comment regarding the incident.

Dvalishvili, 35, has a history with the Nurmagomedov family. In 2005, he defeated Usman's older brother, Umar, at UFC 311 via unanimous decision to retain the UFC bantamweight title. This rivalry has resurfaced in recent months, with Dvalishvili involved in a confrontation with an associate of Umar's before UFC Georgia, leading to public exchanges between them. Umar Nurmagomedov is also slated to compete on the RAF Abu Dhabi card on Saturday against Urijah Faber. Usman Nurmagomedov, 28, is not participating in the event but often attends his brother's MMA and wrestling bouts. A former lightweight champion with the PFL, the Russian is now a free agent and is widely anticipated to sign with the UFC.

This incident occurs shortly after Dvalishvili's recent fight in Abu Dhabi, where he lost by unanimous decision to Petr Yan in the co-main event at UFC 333, with Yan retaining the bantamweight title.