Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is still in prison in Abu Dhabi after the attack on Wednesday afternoon by a group of Dagestani fighters led by Usman Nurmagomedov.
Dvalishvili was in Abu Dhabi to compete against Marlon Moraes in Real American Freestyle’s debut event in the country, but things went sideways after PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov and a group of men jumped from behind Dvalishvili. Numerous videos from different angles, Nurmagomedov can be seen inciting the fight and Merabi’s group of friends, with only his friend and Georgian wrestling champion Saba Lazishvili by his side.
Then there were reports that Usman Nurmagomedov was picked up by local authorities and then an update that Merab Dvalishvili and Saba Lazishvili have also been taken in for questioning. Now Lazishvili’s brother Zviad says Merab and Saba have been detained and could be held for 48 hours while a judge decides what to do with them.
“Unfortunately, my brother Saba and Merab are both still in prison,” Zviad said in a video posted on social media. “They haven’t been released yet and they say they can stay there for 48 hours and then the judge will decide how things go, which I think is completely unfair because my brothers didn’t do anything wrong. They were just defending themselves and they had no choice but to fight and fight back.”
That argument may ultimately help Dvalishvili and Lazishvili, but Abu Dhabi is notoriously strict when it comes to law and order, especially when it involves outsiders. After years of hustling, some of these guys might know.
“So please, whoever has the power or the connections to help them out, speak up and come forward,” Lazishvili’s brother concluded. “Some guys in Georgia, very good friends, have already contacted us and are trying to get lawyers and resolve the situation.”
