UFC Chief Executive Officer Dana White has sharply criticized RAF security failures following a violent hotel lobby brawl involving fighters Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili, reported Yahoo Sports.
Footage of the incident showed the Dagestani entourage approaching the Georgian before the PFL champion delivered the initial slap, according to the initial reporting.
The situation quickly escalated into a full-scale altercation in the Yas Hilton hotel lobby, drawing reactions from prominent mixed martial arts figures including Islam Makhachev, Ilia Topuria, Israel Adesanya, and Sean Strickland, noted NY Fights.
Speaking to the media at a pre-fight press conference, White condemned the participants involved in the physical dispute, according to YouTube footage.
White did not hold back his assessment of the behavior displayed by the crew in the hotel lobby, reported Yahoo Sports.
Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev publicly blamed Merab Dvalishvili for sparking the initial feud at UFC Georgia that ultimately led to Nurmagomedov’s attack, stated NY Fights.
During an interview with former fighter Stefan Struve, White criticized RAF Wrestling over its security management and suggested that similar incidents happen frequently, according to the interview.
White added, “The RAF, I mean, there’s literally a fishfight at every single one of these.”
Abu Dhabi Police announced that eight people involved in the altercation were arrested alongside two additional individuals detained for filming the brawl, per YouTube video details.
All ten individuals were subsequently referred to the Public Prosecution for further legal proceedings, reported NY Fights.
White confirmed that Dvalishvili and other individuals remained in custody at the time of his remarks, stated Yahoo Sports.
RAF officials confirmed that Nurmagomedov would be barred from attending Saturday’s event, according to promotion statements.
The promotion continues working with local authorities while remaining hopeful that Dvalishvili will be released in time to compete against Marlon Moraes, reported Yahoo Sports.