Merab Dvalishvili left bloodied after attack by Usman Nurmagomedov during hotel interview in Abu Dhabi

Detailed summary

Merab Dvalishvili was attacked by a group led by Usman Nurmagomedov while giving an interview in a hotel lobby ahead of this weekend's RAF Abu Dhabi.Dvalishvili is set to face…

Merab Dvalishvili was attacked by a group led by Usman Nurmagomedov while giving an interview in a hotel lobby ahead of this weekend's RAF Abu Dhabi.

Dvalishvili is set to face Marlon Moraes on Saturday night as part of the RAF's first card in the Middle East.

A video posted by UFC fighter Ilia Topuria, since deleted, showed Dvalishvili talking to the camera when he is approached from behind by a group led by Nurmagomedov. The footage showed Dvalishvili turning to face the Russian, who struck him before a melee ensued.

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Dvalishvili then posted an expletive-filled video on his social media channels after the incident while medics attended to his wounds. The Georgian had at least one cut to his head that left his face bloodied.

“Was doing an interview for RAF in hotel lobby and Usman and his buddies came up from behind and started punching me and my young friend,” Dvalishvili wrote in a caption. “Security was holding me - they kept kicking us when we were down like losers.”

It remains to be seen whether his injuries will prevent Dvalishvili from wrestling at Etihad Arena on Saturday. The RAF has been contacted by The National for comment on the incident.

Dvalishvili, 35, has history with the Nurmagomedovs. In 2005, he beat Usman's older brother, Umar, at UFC 311 via unanimous decision to defend the UFC bantamweight title.

The rivalry has flared up again in recent months. Dvalishvili was involved in a scuffle with an associate of Umar’s ahead of UFC Georgia, leading to the two trading insults in the media.

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