MMA fighter Merab Dvalishvili urges Abu Dhabi authorities to release Usman Nurmagomedov and others
After being detained in Abu Dhabi, Merab Dvalishvili said he will not press charges and asked for the release of Usman Nurmagomedov and seven co-defendants who were sentenced following a hotel-lobby altercation.
Merab Dvalishvili announced on social media that he has been released from an Abu Dhabi detention centre and is in good health. He thanked local officials for their assistance and appealed for the release of Usman Nurmagomedov, the PFL lightweight champion, and seven other individuals who were sentenced to six months in jail, fined 300,000 UAE dirhams and ordered to be deported after a hotel-lobby incident.
Dvalishvili said he would not pursue legal action and expressed a desire for “peace and the best for all.”
The incident, captured on video, involved Nurmagomedov and several others confronting Dvalishvili and Saba Lazishvili, resulting in bruises for both men. Dvalishvili and Lazishvili each received a fine of 50,000 dirhams but avoided imprisonment. Lazishvili later stepped in for Umar Nurmagomedov in a freestyle wrestling match at the RAF Abu Dhabi event, while Dvalishvili is slated to fight former UFC bantamweight champion Marlon Moraes.
UFC CEO Dana White criticized Nurmagomedov and his associates, describing the episode as “ridiculous and stupid.” White also commented on the broader Nurmagomedov team, suggesting that their presence often leads to conflicts. In contrast, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev defended the actions on social media.
It remains uncertain whether Dvalishvili’s request for clemency will be acted upon by Abu Dhabi authorities.