Usman Nurmagomedov will not be allowed to attend Saturday’s Real American Freestyle (RAF) event in Abu Dhabi, the promotion said, after Wednesday’s hotel brawl involving Merab Dvalishvili.
RAF co-founder Chad Bronstein addressed the incident at Thursday’s pre-event press conference, saying the promotion does not condone what happened and calling it an unfortunate situation, MMA Fighting reported.
“We’re hoping that the situation gets resolved, sooner than later,” Bronstein said, according to MMA Fighting. “And obviously, Usman will not be attending our event on Saturday night.”
Abu Dhabi Police make arrests
Abu Dhabi Police said on Thursday it had arrested eight people involved in a fight at the entrance of a hotel, which it said followed previous disputes between them. Police also arrested two people who filmed the incident and referred all 10 to the Public Prosecution, Aletihad reported.
The police statement did not name those arrested. BBC Sport and MMA Fighting reported the arrests in connection with the brawl involving Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov.
Read more: Merab Dvalishvili Says Usman Nurmagomedov Attacked Him in Abu Dhabi
Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov in doubt
It is not yet known whether Dvalishvili or Usman’s older brother Umar Nurmagomedov, who MMA Fighting reported was also involved in the brawl, will compete on Saturday’s card. Dvalishvili is scheduled to face Marlon Moraes, while Umar is set to meet Urijah Faber.
Neither fighter appeared at Thursday’s press conference, and MMA Fighting reported a decision was expected within a day or two.
Bronstein said Dvalishvili was “doing well” and that RAF was working through the situation with UAE authorities. “We are hoping that Merab is competing,” he said, Bloody Elbow reported.
Zviad Lazishvili, the brother of Georgian wrestling champion Saba Lazishvili, who was with Dvalishvili during the incident, said on Thursday that both men were still being held, SB Nation reported. “Unfortunately, my brother Saba and Merab, both of them are in jail up until now,” he said in a video on social media, adding that a judge could decide their situation within 48 hours. Abu Dhabi Police have not confirmed who was detained.
What happened in the hotel lobby
A video of the incident appeared to show Nurmagomedov approach Dvalishvili from behind and slap him, BBC Sport reported, before fighting broke out between the two men and members of their teams in the lobby.
Dvalishvili later shared a video on TikTok while receiving treatment for a bloodied face. “What a sneaky way, guys,” he said. “What kind of fighters you guys are? What kind of man does this? If you want to try, let’s do it the real way.”
BBC Sport reported there had been an earlier altercation between the two camps before an RAF event in July, and that UFC champion Islam Makhachev, a close friend and training partner of the Nurmagomedovs, suggested that incident led to Wednesday’s clash.
MMA Fighting reported on Wednesday that neither brother had responded to Dvalishvili’s claims. Usman, 28, is the PFL lightweight champion and a free agent who has been heavily linked with a move to the UFC. Dvalishvili, 35, is a former UFC bantamweight champion who beat Umar for the title in 2025.
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