UFC fighter Ilia Topuria condemned Usman Nurmagomedov and the group accused of attacking Merab Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi, saying those involved were “cowards.”
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UFC star Ilia Topuria publicly condemned Usman Nurmagomedov and others accused of attacking bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi, reacting after Dvalishvili posted video showing himself and a friend receiving medical attention.
The incident came to wider attention after Dvalishvili shared the footage on Wednesday, alleging he was attacked in Abu Dhabi by Usman Nurmagomedov and “others.” The clip later circulated widely online.
In a post dated November 11, 2026, Topuria wrote: “Usman has reportedly been detained, along with the cowards who were with him. And these are the same people who dare to preach about humility and respect? What a disgrace. A bunch of absolute cowards.” He added: “Honor, respect, and humility aren’t words you preach. They’re values you live by. And you’ve shown none of them.”
The altercation unfolded during a period of MMA attention split between Abu Dhabi and New York City. The source notes that much of the sport’s focus was on Saturday’s UFC 334 event at Madison Square Garden in New York, while a separate Real American Freestyle event was scheduled for the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Dvalishvili had previously faced Umar Nurmagomedov for the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 311, losing by unanimous decision, before later defending the belt twice. The source says he ultimately relinquished the bantamweight championship to Petr Yan at UFC 323.
For his part, the source describes Umar Nurmagomedov as a top-ranked bantamweight contender and notes that following his first loss, he returned with back-to-back wins before being knocked out by Song Yadong at UFC Shanghai in August. It also characterizes Usman Nurmagomedov as a free agent after a July title defence concluded his PFL contract and left him with a perfect 22-0 professional record.
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