Tsarukyan called inevitable fight Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov

A fight between former UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili and Russian fighter Usman Nurmagomedov was inevitable, Russian-Armenian UFC fighter Arman Tsarukyan said.

“It should have been. It was inevitable. I was just wondering why Merab was here last time and nothing happened. The response should have been, and it happened, Tsarukyan said in a video posted on the YouTube channel of blogger Adam Zubayraev.

Dvalishvili on November 11 accused Nurmagomedov and his entourage of attacking in the lobby of a hotel in Abu Dhabi. On the widespread in social networks, the footage shows how the Russian approaches Dvalishvili, gives him a slap in the face, after which the fight begins. Russian UFC champion Islam Makhachev said that the conflict was a continuation of the quarrel between Georgian and Dagestan wrestler Ahmed Hajimagomedov in Tbilisi in July.

Tsarukyan noted that the meeting between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov at the hotel was an accident and could have been avoided.

Police in Abu Dhabi reported the arrest of eight participants in the fight and two people who filmed the incident. Cases were opened against all those involved, which were transferred to the prosecutor's office.

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.

Tsarukyan won 24 victories with three defeats. Now he is second in the ranking of lightweights UFC, the champion in which is Justin Gatji.