Opinion: UFC may condemn Nurmagomedov-Dvalishvili brawl, then cash in

Bad blood could provide the UFC with plenty of promotional ammunition for lucrative matchups. | 📷: Abu Dhabi police


Heading into UFC 334, the talk was all about Ciryl Gane, Josh Hokit, Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes. Would the winner of Gane vs. Hokit really be the best heavyweight in the world? Would the Ultimate Fighting Championship scale back its women’s bantamweight division after Harrison and Nunes do the damn thing? Then a hotel altercation in Abu Dhabi took over the conversation. Footage appeared to show Usman Nurmagomedov approaching Merab Dvalishvili from behind and slapping the former UFC bantamweight champion during an interview. A brawl followed, and Dvalishvili later appeared on video with blood on his face.

Much of the immediate reaction condemned Nurmagomedov. One notable exception was UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, who trains with him. Makhachev pointed out that Dvalishvili slapped his friend Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov at an event in July. He had a point about the slap, but the circumstances matter.

The Abu Dhabi hotel altercation could fuel future UFC matchups involving Merab Dvalishvili, Umar Nurmagomedov and Ilia Topuria

The available footage from July shows Dvalishvili slapping Gadzhimagomedov. It doesn’t clearly show what led up to it. Dvalishvili said Gadzhimagomedov grabbed him by the neck and yelled at him. It looks as though Gadzhimagomedov let go after the slap, but I can’t say for certain. There’s more reason to give Dvalishvili the benefit of the doubt in that instance. Even if you don’t, the July slap doesn’t justify what happened in Abu Dhabi.

I’m less interested in climbing onto a soapbox than in what the UFC does next. Fans on both sides will see what they want to see. My read is that, whatever the UFC says publicly, it sees promotional value in the fallout.

The incident can be a headache for the UFC and still give it a way to sell several potentially big fights. There could be public consequences for the Nurmagomedov camp. I wouldn’t rule out a slap on the wrist for Dvalishvili, either.

UFC has a long history of cashing in on bad blood

Think back to some of the UFC’s biggest rivalries. Tito Ortiz wore shirts mocking the Lion’s Den. Chael Sonnen ridiculed Brazil and its people. Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier got into a shoving match at a promotional event. Conor McGregor attacked a bus, injuring people who had nothing to do with his feud. Those incidents differed enormously in severity, but the UFC found a way to make the animosity part of the sell.

UFC may condemn Abu Dhabi brawl, but will it profit from the fallout?

Am I saying the UFC shouldn’t use those incidents to promote fights? Absolutely not. The UFC is a business. Conflict gets people to pay attention. As Eric Bischoff once said, controversy creates cash. But if the UFC finds this incident as abhorrent as it might say it does, there’s an easy test: See whether the footage turns up in a promo. To its credit, the UFC hasn’t used Bryce Mitchell’s praise of Hitler to sell fans on watching him get his ass kicked. Maybe there’s a line. Maybe the UFC just doesn’t think that would sell.

Merab Dvalishvili-Umar Nurmagomedov rematch could benefit from bad blood

The most dedicated fans will tune in without drama. Reaching beyond that audience takes more. Sometimes a title is enough, though that seems less true than it used to be. A charismatic fighter can do it, but there’s only one Conor McGregor. Bad blood between elite fighters can do it, too. There’s plenty of that between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov camp, which is why I think we could see Dvalishvili run it back with Usman’s brother Umar sooner rather than later.

Ilia Topuria-Usman Nurmagomedov fight could give UFC another blockbuster

As a bonus for the UFC, Ilia Topuria has weighed in on behalf of Dvalishvili, his fellow Georgian. Topuria still has star power despite his loss to Justin Gaethje, and his involvement gives the UFC another possible matchup to think about. Usman has never fought for the promotion. Do y’all really think this will keep the UFC from signing him? I don’t.

The incident could cost Usman money up front if he negotiates a UFC deal. But he and Topuria fight in the same division, and if Topuria asks for the matchup, I doubt the UFC would dismiss it. A win over Usman could even give Topuria another way to build interest in a fight with Makhachev. If Makhachev were to push for the UFC to sign his teammate, I could see the promotion asking for something in return, especially after its recent frustration over his plans.

Aside from a mild rebuke from Dana White on Thursday, the UFC hasn’t said much. I don’t expect the promotion to burn bridges with the Nurmagomedov camp while there are fights to make. I do expect it to denounce the incident publicly. What it does when it has a fight to sell will tell us more than any statement. As for Usman, more fans know his name now than they did before the brawl. That doesn’t make him a winner, but it does give the UFC something to work with. We’ll see soon enough whether it does.

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