“Makes Everyone Involved Look Bad”: Dana White Sends Blunt Message After Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili Brawl

The altercation between Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili inside a hotel lobby in Abu Dhabi has become one of the most talked-about incidents in the MMA community.

On Wednesday, Nurmagomedov struck Dvalishvili from behind at the Yas Hilton Hotel, triggering a brawl between the two teams. 

Police were called to the scene, and those involved faced serious consequences. Dana White has now shared his take on the incident, and his response was rather blunt.

Dana White on the Usman Nurmagomedov-Merab Dvalishvili Brawl

Dana White was asked about the incident during the UFC 334 pre-fight press conference, and he didn’t hold back.

"It's absolutely ridiculous and stupid. They're all in jail. That is not a place to go f*ck around," White said.

White was later asked about the incident by sports journalist Adam Glyn, where he explained how situations like this could affect 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,” White said.

Merab Dvalishvili is a former UFC bantamweight champion. Meanwhile, Usman Nurmagomedov is currently a free agent after completing his PFL contract and had been heavily linked with a move to the UFC.

However, the incident in Abu Dhabi could now put Nurmagomedov’s potential move to the UFC in jeopardy.

Consequences of the Brawl

The consequences came quickly. Police detained ten people in total, with eight allegedly involved in the brawl and two others arrested for filming the incident in violation of the UAE’s privacy laws.

An Abu Dhabi court convicted six members of Nurmagomedov’s team and sentenced them to six months in prison. Each was also fined AED 300,000 for disturbing public security.

Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili and his teammate Saba Lazishvili were released after paying AED 50,000 each in connection with the public security charges.