Dana White Labels Team Khabib Trouble Magnets While Reacting to Usman Nurmagomedov-Merab Dvalishvili Melee
While Khabib Nurmagomedov and fighters from the Nurmagomedov school are often regarded as the epitome of dedication and discipline, some of their actions outside the Octagon have recently left a lot to be desired.
The thoughts behind the Usman Nurmagomedov-Merab Dvalishvili melee in Abu Dhabi are many. Some think the tensions between the Georgian and Dagestani contingents could set up Usman vs. Ilia Topuria once the Russian crosses over to the UFC. Others, meanwhile, feel it was highly unsportsmanlike for the PFL lightweight champion and his crew to attack 'The Machine'.
Alas, one thing is certain: Dana White is furious about the incident and understands that scenarios like this are not good for business. And it's hard to argue with him on that front. Moreover, the incident has further cemented Team Khabib and a few others in White's mind as perennial trouble magnets for the promotion.
While Khabib Nurmagomedov and fighters from the Nurmagomedov school are often regarded as the epitome of dedication and discipline, some of their actions outside the Octagon have recently left a lot to be desired.
After the UFC 322 scuffle with Dillon Danis, Abubakar Nurmagomedov's physical altercation with Khamzat Chimaev, and now Usman Nurmagomedov's legal troubles in Abu Dhabi following the melee involving Dvalishvili, it looks like White is beginning to recognize a pattern.
Dana White Is Wary of Team Khabib
During a recent interview with UFC on Eurosport, Dana White was asked about his thoughts on the Abu Dhabi melee. The UFC CEO acknowledged that wherever Team Khabib goes, trouble usually follows, while pointing out that the same pattern has emerged with Khamzat Chimaev and his team.
"Well, I mean, anywhere, you know, the whole Khabib group shows up; there's usually some fights going on. Or Khamzat and all his guys."
And seeing as the entire ordeal unfolded ahead of a Real American Freestyle (RAF) event, where Dvalishvili was scheduled to compete, White was also quick to call out the promoters for a history of unpleasantries happening during their events:
"The RAF. I mean, there's literally a fistfight at every single one of these things... Well, the RAF guys, you'd think they would learn after a couple of these and figure out how to stop this from happening. And people always ask me, 'Isn't this good for ?' It's never good."
Check out Dana White's comments below:
Dana White Reacts to Merab Dvalishvili's Friend Dropping Usman Nurmagomedov's Entourage
Merab Dvalishvili's 21-year-old Georgian wrestler friend, Saba Lazishvili, certainly seems to have made a name for himself following the Abu Dhabi melee. Lazishvili was reportedly seen dropping several members of Usman Nurmagomedov's entourage during the scuffle, despite being outnumbered.
When Dana White was asked what he thought about the young Georgian dropping members of the Nurmagomedov crew, the UFC CEO's response was hardly positive, to say the least. Answering questions during the UFC 334 media day, he said:
"What a bunch of f**king idiots."
