Islam Makhachev defends Usman Nurmagomedov after bloody Merab Dvalishvili attack — ‘Merab started it’

Islam Makhachev believes Wednesday’s ugly hotel ambush did not begin in Abu Dhabi.Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishviliwas left bloodied after being confronted by Usman Nurmagomedov and several members of his entourage ahead of this weekend’s Real American Freestyle (RAF) event.Footage from the incident shows Nurmagomedov approaching Dvalishvili from behind and striking him before a wild brawl erupts inside the hotel lobby (watch it here).Dvalishvili and his younger friend were outnumbered, attacked from behind, and kicked while security restrained them.Fellow Georgian Ilia Topuria subsequently called Nurmagomedov and his group “absolute cowards,” while claiming that several of the men involved had been detained by Abu Dhabi authorities.Now, Makhachev is defending his longtime teammate by reminding critics that Dvalishvili initiated a separate altercation with a Dagestani wrestler at RAF Georgia earlier this year.“To those who are now condemning Usman and the guys and insulting them,” Makhachev wrote. “Why were you silent when Merab hit a Dagestani wrestler for no reason and insulted his honor? The man approached him to talk with no ill intent.”“What happened today was started by Merab in his own homeland when he took it upon himself to hit a guest and insult his mother.”The incident Makhachev referenced occurred in July ahead of Dvalishvili’s wrestling match against Henry Cejudo in Tbilisi, Georgia.After Dvalishvili publicly dismissed the possibility of wrestling longtime rival Umar Nurmagomedov, Umar’s friend, Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, confronted “The Machine” about his comments. Dvalishvili responded by slapping Gadzhimagomedov, sparking a large brawl.The two sides provided different versions of what led to the slap.Arman Tsarukyan, who witnessed the confrontation, claimed Gadzhimagomedov simply asked Dvalishvili not to disrespect Umar and was struck while still talking. Dvalishvili later argued that Gadzhimagomedov grabbed him by the neck, pulled him over and began yelling at him in Russian—a language he barely understands.Makhachev clearly believes Wednesday’s attack was a continuation of the Georgia incident and that Dvalishvili should not be viewed as an innocent victim.That history may explain the hostility, but it has done little to quiet criticism surrounding the number of people involved or how Nurmagomedov approached Dvalishvili.Topuria claims that Nurmagomedov was detained. As of publication, RAF has not announced any changes to Dvalishvili’s scheduled wrestling match against Marlon Moraes on Saturday.