ABU DHABI (The Thursday Times) — Abu Dhabi Police have arrested 10 people over a brawl at a hotel entrance in the emirate, after footage shared widely online appeared to show the former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili being set upon by the PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov and his entourage.
Police said eight people involved in the fight, which they said followed “previous disputes” between them, had been arrested, along with two people who filmed it. The force said it had taken the necessary legal measures and would deal firmly with any behaviour that threatens public safety or disrupts public order, and it urged the public to respect the law. Its statement did not name those held.
The footage showed Dvalishvili giving an interview in the lobby of a hotel on Yas Island when Nurmagomedov and several others approached him from behind. Nurmagomedov appeared to say something to the Georgian before striking him across the face, setting off a fight between the two groups.
Dvalishvili later posted videos of himself being treated for a cut to his face. “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 wrote. “Security was holding me — they kept kicking us when we were down like losers.”
A fight week in Abu Dhabi
Both fighters are in the UAE capital for Real American Freestyle’s first event in the Middle East, at Etihad Arena on Saturday. Dvalishvili, 35, is due to face the Brazilian former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes in a crossover match. Nurmagomedov is there to support his brother Umar, who is scheduled to face Urijah Faber on the same card.
A representative of the organisers said officials would address the incident at Thursday’s pre-fight press conference.
Dvalishvili held the UFC bantamweight title from February 2024 until December 2025, when he lost it to Petr Yan in Las Vegas. Nurmagomedov, 28, is unbeaten in professional mixed martial arts and is a cousin of the retired UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Abu Dhabi has become one of the busiest venues for combat sports outside the United States, hosting UFC events on Yas Island since 2010 and a string of wrestling and boxing cards at Etihad Arena.
