Merab Dvalishvili called for the release of Usman Nurmagomedov and his entourage in a victory speech after he was attacked in an Abu Dhabi hotel earlier this week.
Nurmagomedov set upon UFC star Merab Dvalishvili on Wednesday, slapping him in the lobby of Yas Hilton hotel in a revenge mission filmed by his friends.
The Georgian-American Dvalishvili then retaliated and fought back with his cameraman as the melee rapidly descended into complete mayhem.
Dvalishvili was left bloodied and bruised and the attackers were quickly detained by the authorities.
Six of the attackers were given six-month prison sentences and ordered to pay £61,000 each in fines. They will also be immediately deported when their sentences end.
Despite being left bloodied by the attack, Dvalishvili still competed at a RAF wrestling event on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
Merab Dvalishvili used his victory speech to call for the release of Usman Nurmagomedov and his entourage after he was attacked in an Abu Dhabi hotel earlier this week. Source: X/@ChampRDS
Despite the attack in midweek, Dvalishvili triumphed at the RAF wrestling event on Saturday. Source: X/@ChampRDS
Dvalishvili overcame Brazil’s Marlon Moraes within 90 seconds of their showdown at the Etihad Arena, before using his victory speech to call for the release of Nurmagomedov and his associates.
‘If you can, Abu Dhabi Government or whoever can do it please release those guys, please let them out,’ Dvalishvili said.
‘Please, because we are just fighters and these things can happen, but I want them out, please.’
Dvalishvili’s plea had been met by applause and cheers from a section of fans inside the venue.
He earlier shared a statement on social media, where he insisted he would not press charges over the attack.
‘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,’ Dvalishvili wrote.
‘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.’
Usman Nurmagomedov (left) was the one who initiated the brawl by slapping Dvalishvili – his brother Umar (right) lost a title shot against the Georgian last year
The Abu Dhabi court shared this post online confirming the punishments for the attackers earlier this week
Nurmagomedov and his entourage were punished for having caused ‘panic, disturbed public security and endangered lives’ in the attack on Wednesday.
Two of Nurmagomedov’s associates were fined £10,000 each for ‘disturbing public security and assaulting others’.
And the other two members of the group who recorded the assault were given six-month sentences, £61,000 fines and confiscation of the devices used.
They were punished ‘for violating privacy by using information technology to film and publish footage of the brawl’.
Nurmagomedov and his team’s violent ambush was four months in the making.
Back in July, Dvalishvili was competing in a RAF event in Georgia, which is a freestyle wrestling show the UFC allow their fighters to compete in outside of the day job.
While milling around at the event, a Dagestani wrestler and friend of Umar, Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, confronted Dvalishvili about refusing to entertain a rematch of any kind with Umar.
‘I was super relaxed, super chilled and then somebody (Gadzhimagomedov) came and grabbed my neck and pulled me over and started yelling at me in Russian language, which I hardly understand,’ Dvalishvili told Ariel Helwani.
‘And he mentioned Umar. It took me a couple of seconds to realize, “Who is this guy to tell me what to talk about him?”
‘It’s between me and Umar… I have so much respect for all Dagestani people, especially fighters. The only guy who I don’t like from Dagestan is Umar and his sneaky manager, Rizvan. The guy who was helping Umar disrespect me on X and Threads.’
After Gadzhimagomedov squared up to him, Dvalishvili shoved him in the neck, shouting: ‘What’s your problem, b***h!’
The situation, unlike the hotel brawl that escalated into a complete bloodbath, was quickly defused and there was a child in close proximity.
UFC star Dvalishvili, who was left bloodied after the attack in a five-star hotel in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, has insisted he does not want to press charges
The 35-year-old was blind sided while carrying out an interview
Usman wanted to take revenge on behalf of fellow Dagestani Gadzhimagomedov and also his brother Umar, who lost against Dvalishvili in a title shot last year.
In the footage of the hotel attack, the group appeared to approach Dvalishvili, 35, from behind, before one man said a couple of words to him and slapped him in the face.
Dvalishvili was rocked, then kicked, and was held back by a man he appeared to be with.
He tried to fight back but a number of men overwhelmed him as his companion was attacked too. Eventually, the groups were separated, and Dvalishvili took to social media to respond to the incident.
He said in a video, bloody and bruised as he received treatment: ‘What a sneaky way guys. Just two of us, me and my friend, came here in Abu Dhabi and Usman and his friends came like snakes from behind. What kind of fighters are you guys? What kind of man does this? If you want to fight, let’s do it the real way.
‘You guys came when there was two of us, you were prepared. What the f***.’
His companion then added: ‘From behind? You call yourselves men? You’re a little b***h.’
Dvalishvili continued: ‘You are sneaky guys. You are not real men. It shows your guys’ character, what the f*** guys? If you want to fight, let’s fight. We are fighters. I talk straight, but you guys came from behind. I don’t know how many guys, all your friends waiting for us in a sneaky way, wow.
‘I knew guys, I knew what kind of guys you were. Usman, Umar and his friends came sneaky from behind, so many guys. Wow. I am fine guys. All my friends and family, I am f***ing fine. I am a fighter. This is nothing for me, but it shows what kind of people you guys are. P***ys do this bro. We are warriors.’
