Merab Dvalishvili calls on Abu Dhabi authorities to free Usman Nurmagomedov in first statement after

Merab Dvalishvili is calling for compassion just days after the former UFC bantamweight champion was victim to a brutal attack in an Abu Dhabi hotel lobby.

In his first public comments following a two-day stay in an Abu Dhabi detention center, Dvalishvili said he “would not press charges” and asked for the country’s authorities to release Usman Nurmagomedov and the seven others currently jailed over the incident. Nurmagomedov, PFL’s reigning lightweight champion and a top MMA free agent, was one of eight defendants to receive a six-month jail sentence on Friday, a fine of 300,000 UAE Dirhams (approximately $81,688) and eventual deportation from the country.

Dvalishvili’s full comments, which came on social media:

Just want to let everyone know I have been released and I am good,healthy and ready to go . I want to thank everyone in Abu Dhabi for your help in resolving this matter. I love visiting Abu Dhabi and am happy to be welcomed. I do hope that they release everyone - i would not press charges. I want peace and the best for all. Thanks everyone for your love and support

Following nearly two years of outside-of-the-cage incidents and trash talk, tensions between Team Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili hit a boiling point Wednesday when shocking footage emerged of Usman Nurmagomedov jumping Dvalishvili and another individual, Saba Lazishvili, in a vicious group attack prior to Saturday's RAF event in Abu Dhabi. The attack left Dvalishvili and Lazishvili badly bruised and bloodied.

Umar Nurmagomedov, the younger brother of Usman, has publicly feuded with Dvalishvili since the two collided in a heated grudge match at UFC 311 in January 2025, which Dvalishvili won via unanimous decision to defend his UFC bantamweight title.

Dvalishvili and Lazishvili were ultimately fined 50,000 UAE Dirhams (approximately $13,600) each but did not receive jail time. Lazishvili has since replaced Umar Nurmagomedov in a freestyle wrestling match against UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber at RAF Abu Dhabi, jumping into the event on less than a day's notice. Dvalishvili is still expected to compete on the card against former UFC bantamweight Marlon Moraes.

Nurmagomedov’s actions have been widely criticized and condemned across the MMA world from both fighters and promotional executives alike. UFC CEO Dana White on Thursday called Nurmagomedov and everyone else who was involved in the attack "a bunch of f***ing idiots" and dismissed their actions as “absolutely ridiculous and stupid.”

White also criticized Nurmagomedov’s team, which is lead in part by UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, telling UFC op Eurosport on Friday, “Anywhere the whole Khabib crew shows up, there's usually some fights going on.” However, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev — the No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in MMA and a longtime teammate of Nurmagomedov’s — defended the attack on social media.

Yet while Dvalishvili appears content to move forward from the events of the past week, it remains to be seen whether his calls to Abu Dhabi authorities will actually be heard.