Nurmagomedov slaps Dvalishvili to spark hotel brawl

Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov were involved in a brawl at a hotel in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Video appeared to show Nurmagomedov approach Dvalishvili from behind and slap him, before members of both fighters’ teams joined the fight; the incident matters because Dvalishvili is due to compete in the UAE on Saturday.

Dvalishvili, 35, is scheduled to face Brazilian Marlon Moraes at a Real American Freestyle event, where Nurmagomedov’s brother Umar is also due to fight. Dvalishvili later posted a video showing his bloodied face and accused Nurmagomedov’s team of acting sneakily. UFC champion Islam Makhachev linked the clash to an earlier dispute between the camps, while UFC two-weight champion Ilia Topuria said Nurmagomedov had reportedly been detained.