Former UFC champion accuses Nurmagomedov’s brother of beating in Abu Dhabi

Former UFC champion Georgian Merab Dvalishvili has accused Russian fighter Usman Nurmagomedov of attacking in Abu Dhabi. He reported this on Instagram (owned by Meta, the company is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia).

I was doing an interview for the RAF in the hotel lobby when Usman and his pals came from behind and started beating me and my friend. Security held me down - they kept kicking us while we lay down, Dvalishvili wrote.

Georgia also posted a video with a bloody face. “You are cunning people. It shows what your characters are. You're not real men. What the hell? If you want to fight, fight, let’s fight, because we are fighters. I'm talking. I'm a real man, I'm straight. You attack from the back. I don't know how many people you were there. All your friends are treacherous people, Dvalishvili said in the video.

The fighter said he felt good.

Dvalishvili is a former UFC lightweight champion. He won the belt in 2024, having held three defenses, but in December 2025 he lost it to Russian Peter Jan. On his account in MMA 21 wins and six defeats in mixed martial arts.

Usman Nurmagomedov is the second cousin of ex-UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He has 22 MMA wins and has never lost. One fight was declared invalid.