Cormier Scolds Nurmagomedov After Dvalishvili Attack

Daniel Cormier broke with his Team Khabib allies to condemn Usman Nurmagomedov after the PFL lightweight champion attacked Merab Dvalishvili at an Abu Dhabi hotel earlier this week.

The assault left the former UFC bantamweight champion bloodied before security stepped in, BJPENN.com reports. Authorities in Abu Dhabi have detained Nurmagomedov and several teammates, and the fighter has been banned from this weekend's RAF Abu Dhabi event. The confrontation stemmed from weeks of escalating tension after Dvalishvili struck one of Nurmagomedov's training partners behind the scenes at RAF Georgia.

Hall Of Famer Rips Nurmagomedov's Conduct

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cormier — a close friend of Khabib Nurmagomedov — said watching the footage left him disturbed. "Watching that was actually very sad," Cormier said, per the report. The UFC Hall of Famer called the incident a serious lapse in professionalism and predicted harsh consequences ahead for the PFL champion.

Cormier emphasized he would not defend the actions despite his Team Khabib ties, stating plainly that misconduct cannot excuse further misconduct. He suggested Khabib will likely have a tough conversation with Nurmagomedov about controlling his emotions, noting this represents a pattern rather than an isolated mistake.

Earlier this year at UFC Shanghai, Nurmagomedov stormed the cage following his brother Umar's knockout defeat to Song Yadong and came close to hitting the Chinese fighter with a spinning elbow strike during the melee. The latest incident complicates potential UFC contract talks for Nurmagomedov, who had been viewed as a likely signing.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Daniel Cormier scolds Usman Nurmagomedov after ‘dangerous’ Merab Dvalishvili brawl