A long feud between Merab Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov camp turned physical in a hotel lobby on Wednesday.

Videos shared widely online show PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov walk up behind the former UFC bantamweight champion during an interview in Abu Dhabi and slap him in the face. Dvalishvili went after him and a chaotic brawl broke out between people from both camps.

Dvalishvili later posted a video showing blood on his face as he got medical attention. A friend who was with him also appeared hurt.

'Like snakes'

"What a sneaky way," Dvalishvili said in the video. He said it was "just two of us, me and my friend" when "Usman Nurmagomedov and his friends came like snakes from behind."

In a written post, he said he was "doing an interview for RAF in hotel lobby" when the group came up from behind. "Security was holding me," he wrote. "They kept kicking us when we were down."

He also said Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman's older brother, took part. "I'm fine," Dvalishvili said. "I'm a fighter."

Reactions pour in

Former UFC champion Ilia Topuria, a close friend of Dvalishvili, posted video of the moment. He called the group "a bunch of cowards" and wrote that they would "be held accountable."

Usman Nurmagomedov had not made a public statement as of Wednesday evening. Islam Makhachev, his training partner, defended him on Instagram and said Dvalishvili "started what happened today" when he hit a Dagestani wrestler at an earlier event in his home country of Georgia.

Years of bad blood

Dvalishvili beat Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision for the bantamweight title at UFC 311 in January 2025. Before that fight he called Umar "spoiled." The two camps also had a brief scuffle at another Real American Freestyle event in Georgia in July.

Both men are booked for wrestling matches at RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday at Etihad Arena. Dvalishvili faces Marlon Moraes, while Umar takes on Urijah Faber. Event officials had not said whether the fallout would change the card.

Usman is a restricted free agent. There has been plenty of talk about him leaving the PFL for the UFC in 2027.