Merab Dvalishvili already had a high-profile wrestling match with Henry Cejudo waiting at RAF Georgia. Before he got there, the biggest clip from Tbilisi became a hallway scuffle tied to his rivalry with Umar Nurmagomedov.
The scene started after Dvalishvili was asked about possibly wrestling Nurmagomedov under the Real American Freestyle banner. He did not leave much room for interpretation.
“No, never, f–k that guy. Whoever RAF choose, I’ll fight. Except this spoiled guy.”
That answer landed in the middle of a rivalry that was already heated. Dvalishvili beat Nurmagomedov by decision in January 2025, with scorecards of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46. Nurmagomedov’s side has continued to push back on the result, pointing to Umar’s hand injury and calling for another meeting. Dvalishvili has shown little interest in giving him that rematch while his UFC title path moves elsewhere.
Video from the event showed the tension spilling over after the press conference. One clip captured the wider chaos as people crowded around Dvalishvili and security tried to separate bodies in a packed area.
CHAOS BREAKS OUT AT RAF IN GEORGIA 🤯
Things got out of control after the RAF press conference in Georgia, with members of Abdulrashid Sadulaev’s camp confronting Merab Dvalishvili over comments he made about their fellow Dagestani, Umar Nurmagomedov. pic.twitter.com/CxbCIHpNcV
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 11, 2026
A later angle sharpened the story. That footage showed Dvalishvili face-to-face with Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, a World Wrestling Championships bronze medalist and training partner of Nurmagomedov. In the clip, Dvalishvili appears to grab the front of Gadzhimagomedov’s shirt before swinging at him, which turned a verbal confrontation into a full shove-and-separate scene.
🚨 Footage has been released of Merab slapping Umar Nurmagomedov’s friend at RAF
Grabbing the neck first before slapping someone is CRAZY
(via mma_russia) pic.twitter.com/BXqFmOjVYI
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) July 11, 2026
Umar Nurmagomedov Answers After The RAF Georgia Scuffle
Nurmagomedov responded publicly afterward, framing the moment as a question of respect rather than a random fan confrontation. His post said his friend asked why Dvalishvili was talking behind someone’s back, then contrasted that with how a person should carry himself in the Caucasus.
On the Caucasus, a man is defined by honor, dignity, and hospitality.
My friend only asked why you were talking behind someone’s back.
I don’t need to insult you to feel like a man.Who you really are is shown when there’s no crowd and no one to step in. pic.twitter.com/Oc5AT9U4sN— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) July 10, 2026
The timing made the whole scene harder to ignore. RAF Georgia was already built around Dvalishvili returning to a wrestling format against Cejudo, with MiddleEasy previously covering that Georgia homecoming matchup. The card also featured other MMA names crossing into freestyle, including Arman Tsarukyan’s technical-fall win over Kuat Khamitov.
For Dvalishvili, the problem is not just that the clip went viral. It feeds a feud he has tried to dismiss while making it look even more alive. Every time he says Umar does not deserve the attention, the public temperature around that matchup rises again.
RAF officials kept the event moving, but the brawl gave the Georgia card a second storyline before the main event even started. Dvalishvili has already had a rough RAF week before, including the broken nose he called another typical day after RAF 9. This time, Cejudo was still in front of him, Nurmagomedov still had his rematch argument, and fresh footage gave both sides one more thing to argue about.
