Umar Nurmagomedov Dubs Merab Dvalishvili 'Disrespect Merab' Ahead of UFC 333

Q: What really happened in the unseen video of the backstage brawl that Umar claims will expose Merab's lies?

There is no public evidence yet showing what the unseen video definitively captures, so Umar Nurmagomedov’s claim remains unverified. What is clear is that the two sides describe the RAF Georgia backstage altercation very differently. Merab Dvalishvili told Ariel Helwani that Umar’s friend Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov grabbed him by the neck, pulled him in, and yelled at him in Russian about Umar, prompting Merab to slap him. Umar flatly disputes that account. He says “nobody hold him, nobody touch him,” and insists the video proves Merab is lying about being physically grabbed or restrained. Based on Umar’s comments, the footage he is referring to would likely show a verbal confrontation rather than the aggressive neck-grab Merab described. Umar’s version is that his friend only approached Merab to tell him not to talk behind Umar’s back and to address any issue directly to Umar himself. That is the core point Umar says the video will expose. At this stage, though, the public has only competing claims, not the actual recording. Until the footage is released or independently reviewed, the most responsible reading is that the alleged video may support Umar’s denial that Merab was touched, but it does not yet prove exactly how the exchange began or who escalated it.

2 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · Aug 27

Umar Nurmagomedov said Merab Dvalishvili should drop "The Machine" for "Disrespect Merab," accusing his rival of "crying" in public instead of confronting him directly.
The jab followed Dvalishvili's recent comments about Nurmagomedov and manager Rizvan Magomedov, whom the former champion called "sneaky" or a "snake" after a July incident involving a fan in Georgia.
Nurmagomedov said video from that encounter shows nobody touched or restrained Dvalishvili, and challenged him to "come to me" or text him rather than complain on camera or social media.
The feud traces back to UFC 311 in January 2025, when Dvalishvili beat Nurmagomedov by decision, before defending the bantamweight belt twice and then losing it to Petr Yan at UFC 323.
With Nurmagomedov facing Song Yadong this Saturday in Shanghai and Dvalishvili booked for a Yan trilogy at UFC 333 in October, wins by both would set up a grudge rematch.