Merab Dvalishvili has no regrets about his altercation with a fan, whom he claims was deliberately provocative, and insists on addressing the issue after his upcoming fight against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.
Merab Dvalishvili isn’t losing sleep over his recent run-in with a fan. At UFC 310, he was in Aljamain Sterling’s corner when a scuffle almost erupted post-fight. The incident blew up online, and “The Machine” later clarified that the fan was actually part of Umar Nurmagomedov’s crew, deliberately trying to stir trouble. After some reflection, Dvalishvili stands by his actions.
“I was walking back with Aljamain when someone grabbed my shoulder,” Dvalishvili recounted to Ariel Helwani. “He had a phone out, filming me, and started cursing in Russian. My Russian isn’t great—I know the bad words though.” It was a tense moment.
Security intervened before things got physical. Dvalishvili admitted, “I wanted to punch him, but security held me back. I’m a fighter; I live with respect.” Despite being restrained, his friend stepped in and slapped the instigator.
Adding fuel to the fire, Umar shared photos of the altercation, seemingly proud of his provocateur ally. “This shows Umar’s true colors,” Dvalishvili noted. “I would never support anyone provoking a professional fighter.”
Dvalishvili is clear about one thing: disrespect won’t be tolerated. “If you disrespect me face-to-face, expect a slap,” he warned. He doesn’t care about consequences like jail or losing his belt—principles come first.
With UFC 311 on the horizon, tensions are high between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov. Their press conference nearly turned into a brawl, but cooler heads prevailed—for now. Dvalishvili insists he won’t act rashly before their fight.
“I realize he’s not worth it,” Dvalishvili said about future confrontations with Umar. “I’m here for business; I won’t jeopardize that.” Yet, he remains wary of Nurmagomedov’s character.
UFC 311 is set for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., where Dvalishvili plans to settle matters in the octagon first. Post-fight? That’s another story.
“We’ll see after,” he mentioned cryptically. “If Umar doesn’t apologize, there might be more to this saga—even if it means heading to Dagestan.”
Despite the conflict, Dvalishvili holds respect for Dagestani people but feels Umar crossed a line. “He made a big mistake with me,” he stated firmly. Once the fight concludes, he intends to address their issues head-on.