November 11, 2026 — Merab Dvalishvili and Usman Nurmagomedov were involved in a heated altercation in Abu Dhabi after Usman reportedly slapped the former UFC bantamweight champion during an interview. The unexpected confrontation quickly attracted attention across the MMA community, with footage of the incident spreading across social media. #MerabDvalishvili #UsmanNurmagomedov #UFC Merab Dvalishvili vs Usman Nurmagomedov has become one of the biggest talking points in MMA after a tense exchange inside a hotel lobby in Abu Dhabi. The incident happened while Merab was participating in media activities ahead of the Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling event, where he was scheduled to compete against former UFC fighter Marlon Moraes. Video footage circulating online appears to show Usman Nurmagomedov approaching Merab Dvalishvili during an interview before slapping him. Within moments, the situation escalated as several individuals became involved in the confrontation. Following the