UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili says the fan who got into an altercation with him in the crowd at UFC 310 may have been Umar Nurmagomedov's plant.
Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov have gone from cordial competitors to heated rivals in just a few months. After earning the title by defeating Sean O'Malley at UFC 306, Dvalishvili dismissed Nurmagomedov's case for a title shot before the UFC ultimately booked the pair for the UFC 311 co-main event next month.
Ahead of their grudge match in January, Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili almost got their fight started early while in Las Vegas for their UFC 311 press conference. The two elite bantamweights became involved in a heated verbal altercation that almost turned physical backstage, and the tensions did not subside once the press conference began.
After Dvalishvili's teammate, Aljamain Sterling, suffered a loss to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310, a member of the crowd was seen talking trash and insulting Dvalishvili as they left the arena. Dvalishvili tried to start an all-out brawl before security staff intervened, although one of his teammates threw a punch at the fan.
It turns out that the fan is a friend of Nurmagomedov and many other top Dagestani fighters.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Merab Dvalishvili speaks out after viral altercation in the crowd at UFC 310
Dvalishvili went to X on Sunday and shared his version of events as he and Sterling left the T-Mobile Arena.
“More lies, disrespect and deliberate provocations from Umar's team,” Dvalishvili claimed. “Here's the real story…” followed by a video clip detailing his story.
At the time of writing, Nurmagomedov and his team have not yet discussed the Dvalishvili incident at UFC 310. UFC CEO Dana White addressed the skirmish during his post-fight press conference, calling Dvalishvili a “Mini Sean Strickland with no mouth.”
Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed in the end, but that came after several blows were exchanged between Dvalishvili, his teammate, and Nurmagomedov's ally. The incident could be investigated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which suspended Arman Tsarukyan after he attacked a fan during his UFC 300 walkout.
It's uncertain whether Dvalishvili's altercation will impact his status for UFC 311, but at the time of writing the fight remains intact.
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Merab Dvalishvili faces possible suspension Arman Tsarukyan served after UFC 300
Before capturing the title at UFC 306, Dvalishvili defeated former UFC champions Petr Yan, José Aldo and Henry Cejudo. He hasn't lost since a controversial defeat to Ricky Simón in 2018.
Tensions between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov began to rise almost immediately after Dvalishvili's title win. Things reached a hostile level when Dvalishvili appeared to offer a title shot to Yan, and not Nurmagomedov, following Yan's main event victory at UFC Macau.
Dvalishvili dominated Yan in their unanimous decision match last year, attempting a UFC record 49 takedowns. Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov are considered two of the best wrestlers in the UFC today.
There remains no love between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov ahead of their UFC 311 clash, and Dvalishvili's UFC 310 skirmish with one of Nurmagomedov's friends might not be the end of their pre-fight controversies. Expect things to intensify as fight night approaches in Los Angeles.
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