Merab Dvalishvili Blasts 2 Dagestani Rivals as UFC Feud Deepens

Q: What really sparked the violent backstage brawl that ignited this bitter UFC feud?

The brawl appears to have been sparked by a personal backstage confrontation at RAF Georgia, not by a broader Dagestan-vs.-Georgia dispute. By Merab Dvalishvili’s account, the immediate trigger came after he publicly rejected the idea of a wrestling match with Umar Nurmagomedov and used harsh language about him at the event. Backstage, Umar’s friend Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov then approached Dvalishvili, allegedly grabbed him by the neck and shouted at him in Russian over his comments about Umar. Dvalishvili said he reacted by slapping Gadzhimagomedov, which set off the melee. The deeper cause was an already festering feud between Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov that had grown after their UFC 311 title fight and through continued online and public exchanges. Dvalishvili has said he felt especially angered by what he viewed as disrespect from Umar and manager Rizvan Magomedov, including social-media posts he believed insulted both him and Georgia. Umar’s side disputes key parts of Merab’s version. Umar has said his friends only confronted Dvalishvili verbally and did not physically restrain or grab him, arguing that if Merab had a problem he should address it directly rather than in public. So, based on the available accounts, the violent flare-up was most directly ignited by Gadzhimagomedov confronting Dvalishvili backstage over Umar-related comments, with the slap serving as the immediate flashpoint and the longer-running disrespect allegations supplying the fuel.

1 articles · Updated · Zamin · Aug 25

Merab Dvalishvili said he respects Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev and the wider Dagestani team, but publicly singled out Umar Nurmagomedov and manager Rizvan Magomedov for criticism.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Dvalishvili said the feud stems from social media attacks, claiming Rizvan helped Umar craft insulting posts and pressure him on X.
Georgia became a flashpoint in the dispute, with Dvalishvili accusing Rizvan of disrespecting his homeland despite being warmly received there, and calling the manager “very cunning.”
Dvalishvili also said Umar had been “spoiled excessively” and showed him personal disrespect, comments likely to intensify fan interest in a potential future UFC clash.