Paulo Costa Mocks Merab Dvalishvili After Hotel Brawl

Merab Dvalishvili details hotel lobby assault

Merab Dvalishvili detailed a physical confrontation in an Abu Dhabi hotel lobby where he and a friend were approached from behind by Usman Nurmagomedov and about 20 men.

The Times of India reported that Dvalishvili described the incident as "sneaky" and alleged that approximately 20 people participated in the assault.

Dvalishvili posted videos of a cut and a bloodied face, saying that security personnel held him during the fight.

He said, "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".

He also wrote, "Security was holding me - they kept kicking us when we were down like losers".

Abu Dhabi Police confirm ten arrests

Abu Dhabi Police confirmed that ten individuals were arrested following the brawl involving the Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili camps.

The Times of India reported that eight people were arrested for the fight itself, while two others were detained for filming the incident.

All ten individuals were referred to the Public Prosecution.

The police stated they are committed to maintaining public order and taking firm action against behaviour that endangers safety.

According to The National, Dvalishvili did not file a formal complaint, but police acted because the fight occurred in public and was recorded.

It is not clear if Usman Nurmagomedov, Umar Nurmagomedov, or Dvalishvili were among those taken into custody.

Ilia Topuria criticizes Nurmagomedov camp

Ilia Topuria criticized the Nurmagomedov camp following the incident.

Topuria subsequently deleted the footage from his social media channels. He reported that Nurmagomedov had been detained along with his associates.

Now you’ve removed every last doubt. They’re values you live by. And you’ve shown none of them".

Long-standing rivalry between camps

The hotel altercation follows a series of disagreements between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov camp dating back to their rivalry in January 2025.

This bout served as Dvalishvili's first title defense and marked the first professional loss for Umar. The match earned Fight of the Night honors. Before that fight, Dvalishvili publicly called Umar "spoiled" and accused him of disrespect.

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev said the clash was retaliation for Dvalishvili hitting a Dagestani wrestler and insulting his mother. Makhachev later referenced that incident while defending Usman.

Usman Nurmagomedov, who has not fought Dvalishvili in the UFC, became involved in the hotel brawl due to his relationship with Umar and the history between the two camps.

Status of upcoming RAF event

Umar Nurmagomedov is set to face former UFC champion Urijah Faber at the same event. This match will take place at the Etihad Arena, which is the organization’s first Middle East event.

Neither the Dvalishvili-Moraes bout nor the Umar-Faber match had been cancelled following the incident. The hotel brawl comes at a sensitive point for the organization as it prepares for the Saturday card. These proceedings have raised immediate concerns about the availability of Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov.

RAF plans to address the incident at a pre-event press conference on Thursday. Officials are expected to provide the organization’s response before the scheduled fights on Saturday.

Detention of involved parties

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani reported on X that everyone involved in the brawl was still being detained by local authorities as of November 12. Other reports mentioned that individuals were undergoing police questioning without confirming formal arrests or charges.

Neither Umar nor Usman Nurmagomedov had publicly addressed the allegations as of the report date. Separately, UFC president Dana White said "We’re interested" when asked about the possibility of signing Nurmagomedov, as reported by The National.