Darren Till Calls Out Merab Dvalishvili for Acting Like a Coward After Usman Controversy

Darren Till has not held back when talking about the Abu Dhabi incident between Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili. The former UFC fighter believes Merab is making a joke and posting video of the incident instead of confronting the whole incident. 

"This is what Merab will probably do, he'll make a TikTok or IG reel, with that girl, Nina, laughing and joking about it. If that c*t slapped me, (I'd go after him)." "The guy slapped you, are you just gonna do a video? Go and do something about it!"

It was evident that Till had expected a different reaction from the former UFC Bantamweight Champion. His comments also sparked a debate among fans.

Darren Till Takes Aim at Merab Dvalishvili

The  incident happened  on Nov. 11 at a hotel in Abu Dhabi. During the interview, when Merab was speaking, Usman approached him and slapped him. Things got out of hand very quickly and a number of people joined in the fight.

Later, Merab discussed the attack and posted videos of his wounds. Till was not impressed with how he handled the incident afterward. He believed Merab was downplaying a serious incident on social media.

But there’s more to it. It was not an even 1 v1 match like situation, and there were other parties involved. Merab has more than one opponent to deal with inside a cage. It is difficult to judge his response on a few clips alone.

Does Being an Elite MMA Fighter Mean You Must Fight Back?

Till's comments pose an interesting question about the difference between dealing with a street fight and being a great MMA fighter. Merab has proved he can hang with the UFC elite. His win over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 was another example of how difficult he is to beat.

But fighting outside the cage is another story. There is no referee, no rules, and no guarantee that it will be only one person.

Some fans may also bring up Merab's beef with the Nurmagomedov camp and say that he is afraid of Russian fighters. There is no hard evidence, however, to substantiate this claim. His track record against the elite speaks for itself.

Usman Sentenced to Six Months in Prison

There have also been serious legal consequences for the incident. An Abu Dhabi court sentenced Usman and five others to six months in prison on Friday. They were also ordered to be deported and fined AED 300,000 each after completion of their terms.

Merab Dvalishvili and his teammate Saba Lazishvili were released after being fined AED 50,000. Two other people who recorded and shared the incident were also sentenced to six months in prison.

Marlon Moraes vs Merab Dvalishvili still scheduled for RAF Abu Dhabi. Saba will also be replacing Umar Nurmagomedov against Urijah Faber.