
Dana
White has condemned the brawl involving Usman
Nurmagomedov and Merab
Dvalishvili.
Nurmagomedov attacked Dvalishvili in a hotel lobby in Abu Dhabi on
Wednesday. The unbeaten Russian lightweight free agent, whom the
Ultimate Fighting Championship reportedly holds strong interest
in, slapped Dvalishvili, sparking an all-out brawl involving
Nurmagomedov’s entourage and the former UFC bantamweight champion’s
friend. White has now addressed the impact and aftermath of the
altercation.
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Dana White’s reaction to the Nurmagomedov-Dvalishvili brawl and
its consequences in Abu Dhabi
Dvalishvili later took to social media to reveal bruises and cuts
he and his friend suffered in the brawl. Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov
and members of his entourage have drawn massive backlash. All
involved have been detained by Abu Dhabi law enforcement.
White believes such incidents are never good for business, but are
far from unexpected in the fight game.
“That stuff’s never good for business,” White told Adam Glyn. “Makes everybody involved look bad.
And it’s unfortunate. We’re in the fight business, and crazy sh*t
happens. Now they are all in jail in Abu Dhabi; let’s see how that
goes.”
White was also asked about the brawl at the UFC
334 prefight press conference in New York, where he lamented
how strict Abu Dhabi’s laws are.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous and stupid,” White said. “They’re all
in jail. That is not a place to go f*ck around.”
Dvalishvili was scheduled to wrestle Marlon
Moraes in Abu Dhabi on Saturday under the Real American
Freestyle banner. While RAF is still hoping Dvalishvili can
compete, Nurmagomedov has been banned from attending the event.
Dana White says the Usman vs Merab brawl is
NOT good for business: “That stuff is never good for business. It
makes everyone involved look bad. It’s unfortunate. Now they’re all
in jail in Abu Dhabi. We’ll see how that goes.” (via @adamglyn)
https://t.co/bwzerdG44G— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
November 13, 2026
Dana White is asked about the Usman
Nurmagomedov and Merab
Dvalishvili brawl: „It’s absolutely ridiculous and stupid.
They’re all in jail. That is not a place to go f*ck around.“
https://t.co/4FlvbWIjYS— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
November 12, 2026