Dvalishvili Fires Back At Nurmagomedov Over RAF Georgia Altercation

Merab Dvalishvili has responded to Umar Nurmagomedov's criticism of an altercation that took place at RAF Georgia in July.

The UFC bantamweight champion addressed the incident in a social media video posted Tuesday, defending his decision to slap a friend of Nurmagomedov's who confronted him at a pre-fight press conference. According to MMA Fighting, the confrontation began when the individual challenged Dvalishvili over his dismissal of a potential wrestling match with Nurmagomedov.

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Dvalishvili Defends Georgian Upbringing

"Umar and some small people keep talking trash about me," Dvalishvili said in the video. "You guys probably don't know anything about life, but I am a man, and if you come to me, pulling me over, disrespect me, start loud talk with me in a different language, I will slap your face. Because that's who I am. That's how I grew up. That's my culture and that's what you're going to get."

The champion explained that he later reconciled with Ahmad, the friend of Nurmagomedov involved in the confrontation, shaking hands to resolve the matter. Dvalishvili warned that the situation could have escalated far worse given the local support in his home country, suggesting thousands of Georgian fans could have turned the event into a dangerous scene.

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The incident stems from ongoing tension between the two bantamweights following Dvalishvili's decision victory over Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January 2025. Nurmagomedov recently questioned how Dvalishvili could live with his behavior at the press conference.

Dvalishvili closed his video by calling for Petr Yan to finalize a trilogy bout. Yan ended Dvalishvili's title reign at UFC 323 last December, evening their series after Dvalishvili won their first meeting in 2023.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Merab Dvalishvili responds to Umar Nurmagomedov jab: ‘You guys are little people’