Islam Makhachev blames Merab Dvalishvili for Usman Nurmagomedov attack in Abu Dhabi

Usman Nurmagomedov and a group of associates in Abu Dhabi ambushed former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and a friend in a hotel lobby. Videos of the indictment quickly flooded social media and reactions soon followed.

Nurmagomedov’s teammate, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev weighed in on the altercation and blamed Dvalishvilli.

“To those who are now condemning Usman and the guys, writing insults to them, why were you silent when Merab hit a Dagestani wrestler and insulted him?” Makhachev posted to his Instagram Stories.

“The man approached to talk to him without any evil intention. What happened today, Merab started in his homeland, allowing himself to hit a guest and (insult) his mother.”

The feud between Dvalishvili and Eagles MMA began when the Georgian beat Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January 2025. This past July, at an RAF event, Dvalishvili slapped Akhmed Gadjimagomedov, an associate of Nurmagomedov. The backstage incident is what Makhachev referenced.