Merab Dvalishvili Attacked By Usman Nurmagomedov, Others At RAF Event

Merab Dvalishvili was jumped by Usman Nurmagomedov and several other men during a media session in Abu Dhabi, leaving the former UFC champion bloodied and bruised ... and the violent brawl was captured on video.

The chaotic scene went down in a hotel lobby where Merab was in the middle of an interview promoting this weekend's Real American Freestyle card when Usman and crew (MD says Umar Nurmagomedov was also there) rolled up behind the Georgian fighter and started swinging on him, punches, kicks, and all.

Dvalishvili wasn't alone -- he had a young wrestling buddy with him -- but they were outnumbered, and despite fighting back, they were banged up pretty bad, walking away with multiple cuts and bruises.

As medics patched him up, Merab took to social media to tell fans what went down just moments earlier.

"Just two of us, me and my friend, came here to Abu Dhabi, and Usman Nurmagomedov and his friends came like snakes from behind. What kind of fighters you guys are? What kind of man does this?" a battered Dvalishvili asked.

Merab added ... "It shows your guys' character. It shows you're not real men."

The reaction to the incident was swift ... with fans and fighters expressing outrage online.

Sean Strickland weighed in on X, saying, "Usman Nurmagomedov is the definition of a bitch.. These guys all run around pretending to be hard but they all act like f****** dogs waiting to attack you when youre not looking...."

The middleweight champ also called for a "lifetime ban for everyone involved."

Israel Adesanya, too, writing ... "Snakes may Shes their skin, but will always be snakes. You’re both the victors when it’s all said and done. 🫡"

Paola Costa, Mike Perry, and Marvin Vettori also commented on the now-viral clip.

So, what's the beef? There's been bad blood between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedovs.

Merab beat Umar by unanimous decision at UFC 311 in January 2025. In July 2026, Dvalishvili was involved in a scuffle with one of Umar's buddies (also at an RAF event).

More back-and-forth followed ... culminating in Wednesday's incident.