Former UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili was left bloodied and furious after being attacked by fellow MMA star Usman Nurmagomedov in a wild hotel lobby brawl in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Dvalishvili, a former UFC bantamweight champ, posted video of the aftermath on Instagram while footage of the chaos went viral on social media.
In the clip posted by Dvalishvili, the fighter is seen receiving medical attention after the brawl and calling out Nurmagomedov and his crew as cowards.
“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,” Dvalishvili wrote in the caption. “Security was holding me — they kept kicking us when we were down like losers.”
Dvalishvili, who hails from Georgia, has a history with Nurmagomedov, having fought and defeated his brother Umar in UFC.
How did the brawl start?
In a video of the incident posted on X by Red Corner MMA on Wednesday, a large group of men led by Usman Nurmagomedov are seen approaching Dvalishvili in a hotel lobby before slapping him in the face and starting a brawl.
Roughly a dozen men become involved in the wild brawl, with haymakers and violent kicks thrown by both sides before security is called to the scene.
The clip quickly went viral on social media, racking up more than 5.2 million views in just hours.
“What a sneaky way, just two of us, me and my friend came here in Abu Dhabi, and Usman Nurmagomedov and his friends came like snakes from behind,” Dvalishvili said in his Instagram video. “What kind of fighters you guys are? What kind of man does this? If you want to talk and fight, let’s do it the real way.
“You guys came from f****** just because there’s two of us, and you guys were prepared. What the f***?”
Dvalishvili also claimed that Umar was present at the brawl but wasn’t involved.
What is going on in Dubai?
Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov are both set to compete at the Real American Freestyle event in the UAE capital on Saturday.
Dvalishvili is taking on Marlon Moraes while Umar will tangle with former UFC star Urijah Faber.
Despite taking some damage during the brawl, Dvalishvili says he’ll be OK to compete at RAF Abu Dhabi.
“I’m fine,” Dvalishvili said. “All my friends and family, I’m f—ing fine, I’m a fighter. This is nothing for me. Again, it shows what kind of people you guys are.”