Wrong place to mess around.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White
has weighed in on the wild hotel brawl involving former Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and Professional Fighters League (PFL) Lightweight kingpin Usman Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi.White was asked about the ugly incident during the UFC 334 pre-fight press conference on Thursday in New York City, and he didn’t mince words.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous and stupid, and they’re all in jail,” White said. “That is not a place
to go f—k around.”
The incident occurred Wednesday in the lobby of the Yas Hilton hotel ahead of this weekend’s Real American Freestyle (RAF) event in Abu Dhabi. Dvalishvili was conducting an interview when Nurmagomedov and several members of his entourage approached him from behind.
Video footage showed Nurmagomedov saying something to Dvalishvili before striking him across the face, sparking an all-out brawl involving both groups (watch here). “The Machine” was left with a bloody cut on his face.
Abu Dhabi Police subsequently announced that eight people involved in the altercation had been arrested. Two additional individuals were also detained for filming the brawl, with all 10 referred to the Public Prosecution for further legal proceedings. Authorities did not publicly identify everyone taken into custody.
RAF officials confirmed Thursday that Nurmagomedov will not be allowed to attend Saturday’s event. The promotion is working with local authorities and remains hopeful Dvalishvili will be released in time to compete against former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes.
The incident also raised questions about Nurmagomedov’s fighting future. The undefeated Russian has recently been linked to a potential move to UFC, but White quickly poured cold water on that speculation.
White clarified that Nurmagomedov remains under contract with PFL and said UFC has not been in contact with him.
In other words, Nurmagomedov’s rumored UFC move was never close—and his legal situation in Abu Dhabi is now a much more immediate concern.
