During the RAF Georgia presser, a physical altercation broke out between former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and a fighter from the North Caucasus, who allegedly is also a fan of Umar Nurmagomedov.
As per Championship Rounds on X, shared footage of the incident showed a fan of former UFC title challenger Umar wanting to touch Dvalishvili and ask him about his issues with Umar. In the clip, “The Machine” is seen slapping/punching the aforementioned individual and then heard yelling:
“What’s your problem? What’s your problem?”
Check out Merab Dvalishvili punching a fan of Umar Nurmagomedov below:
Reports also suggest that several fighters attempted to break through the security to enter the room where the Georgian fighters were staying. However, security intervened quickly, as shown in the footage, to stop the matter from escalating further.
This weekend, RAF makes its international debut in Georgia. In the main event, former UFC champs Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo compete against each other for the first time under the RAF banner.
Why is there bad blood between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov?
Merab Dvalishvili had to defend his title against the then-undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. According to “The Machine,” Umar did not deserve a title shot at the time and had clearly not done enough to earn one. However, the UFC still chose him as the challenger, largely due to his connection with his cousin, the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Dvalishvili went on to beat Umar by unanimous decision. After a few competitive rounds, the Georgian’s relentless pressure, cardio, takedown defense, and wrestling were too much for the Russian fighter.
Following his loss to “The Machine,” Umar stated that he had broken his hand during the title fight and thus could not fight at his full potential.
However, Merab Dvalishvili has no intention of giving him a rematch. Most recently, Umar called him out again, saying he would rather run it back with the 35-year-old than fight for the title next.
However, the UFC has already promised Dvalishvili a title rematch when current and two-time UFC bantamweight titleholder Petr Yan returns. Umar Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, will lock horns with Song Yadong next month.
