UFC Boss Dana White Responds To Explosive Confrontation Between Usman Nurmagomedov’s Team And Merab Dvalishvili

Dana White addresses the shocking incident involving Merab Dvalishvili and Usman Nurmagomedov’s team© AFP

UFC CEO Dana White has given a blunt reaction to the Abu Dhabi brawl between Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili. On Wednesday, Dvalishvili posted a video of himself bloodied, saying he and a friend were jumped by Nurmagomedov and several members of his team. Videos soon surfaced. They show Nurmagomedov slapping Dvalishvili before the group attacked both men. Eight people were reportedly arrested, and police also detained some of the people filming it. White addressed the incident Thursday at the UFC 334 pre-fight press conference, and he did not hold back.

What Did Dana White Say About Usman Nurmagomedov And Merab Dvalishvili?

Dana White did not dress anything up when asked about the fight involving Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili. “What a bunch of f***ing idiots,” White said. He kept going. “It's absolutely ridiculous and stupid and they're all in jail,” the UFC boss added, saying it is “not a place to go f*** around.”

White later turned to the business side. “It makes everyone involved look bad. It's unfortunate,” he said, calling the episode “never good for business.” Then came a short, dry line about the arrests. “Now they're all in jail in Abu Dhabi. We'll see how that goes.”

Abu Dhabi police released a statement Thursday on the arrests, which also covered the people recording the altercation. There is no update on when those detained might be released. The weekend lineup is affected, too. Dvalishvili was set to wrestle Marlon Moraes on Saturday, and Umar Nurmagomedov is expected to face Urijah Faber. Organizers banned Nurmagomedov from the event, but there is no word yet on Umar Nurmagomedov or Dvalishvili.

Nurmagomedov's UFC Path Is Now On Hold

Before the brawl, Nurmagomedov looked like one of the hottest names on the market. The lightweight had wrapped up a deal with the PFL, and plenty of people expected the UFC to be near the front of the line. White cooled the talk fast. “He's still under contract,” White said. “We're not talking him right now anyway.”

Nurmagomedov is in an exclusive negotiating period with the PFL, so the UFC has not opened any discussions. An earlier episode adds another wrinkle. At UFC Shanghai this summer, Nurmagomedov jumped into the cage after Umar was knocked out by Song Yadong. Two incidents in a few months raise a fair question about how much leverage he has left at the bargaining table.