Police confirm arrests after Usman Nurmagomedov attack on Merab Dvalishvili - MMA Junkie
Authorities in Abu Dhabi have issued a statement on Wednesday's brawl between Usman Nurmagomedov, team members, and Merab Dvalishvili in an Abu Dhabi hotel.
Police on Thursday released a statement that confirmed 10 arrests have been made, which includes eight brawl participants and two men who video taped it. "Necessary legal action against them" is being taken, the statement read.
At the time of publication, there has been no indication that any of the individuals involved have been released. It's not clear if Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili were among those arrested.
"The Abu Dhabi General Police were able to arrest 8 individuals involved in a fight that occurred at the entrance of one of the hotels, following previous disputes between them. They also managed to arrest two individuals who filmed the incident and took the necessary legal action against them, referring them to the Public Prosecution to complete the procedures in accordance with the applicable laws.
"The details of the incident revolve around a fight that occurred at the entrance of one of the hotels, following previous disputes between several individuals. Immediately, the specialized teams in Abu Dhabi Police began their procedures to deal with the incident, and were able to arrest those involved, in addition to arresting the two individuals who filmed the fight, and taking the necessary legal action against them.
"The Abu Dhabi Police emphasized their commitment to maintaining security and public order, and dealing firmly with behaviors that may disrupt security or endanger the safety of others, stressing the importance of adhering to laws and regulations and adopting civilized and responsible behavior."
Video of a full-on brawl between the two fighters and team members hit the internet Wednesday. The first blow was thrown by Nurmagomedov, who approached Dvalishvili from behind, tapped him on the shoulder, and then slapped him in the face.
Dvalishvili looked stunned but then charged Nurmagomedov, who stood with PFL fighter Amru Magomedov, among other individuals. Punches flew left and right, as a frightened and confused hotel desk worker looked on.
The brawl triggered online reactions from many of those around the MMA community, including Ilia Topuria, who came to Dvalishvili's defense and called Nurmagomedov and company "cowards."
While many fans criticized Nurmagomedov for inciting the chaos, defenders shared a video of Dvalishvili slapping a man who allegedly associates with Nurmagomedov in a prior incident months ago.
Dvalishvili has spoken out about the incident, sharing video of his lacerations from the scrap. Nurmagomedov has not publicly commented, nor has the UFC.
Nurmagomedov was thought to be a free agent after fighting out his PFL contract. However, Nurmagomedov's manager, Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA, recently said his client is still within the exclusive negotiating period.
