Usman Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has issued an apology to Abu Dhabi and its leadership following the violent confrontation involving members of the Russian fighter’s camp and Merab Dvalishvili. With arrests made and the incident drawing criticism from the UFC, Abdelaziz has acknowledged that his team’s conduct was unacceptable, while admitting that the consequences extend well beyond the fighters directly involved.
Ali Abdelaziz apologises to Abu Dhabi on behalf of Nurmagomedov and his team
Speaking to MMA Junkie on Thursday, November 12, Abdelaziz expressed embarrassment over the incident and apologised to the people and leadership of Abu Dhabi, where the confrontation took place.“I’m truly sorry [about Wednesday’s events]. It’s embarrassing what happened. I hope these young men will get a good lesson. This is something that should not happen again.“All of our guys have to set a good example […] I haven’t slept for a couple days, trying to make it better. I don’t think there’s any words I can say to make this better. To the people of Abu Dhabi, to the leadership, this is something that will never happen again.“We should do better as Muslims, as human beings, as athletes […] What happened was something unacceptable and should never happen again.”Abdelaziz also made clear that the apology was not limited to Nurmagomedov’s individual conduct, but extended to the wider group associated with him. He acknowledged that the incident had been deeply disrespectful to the host city and that the fighters involved had a responsibility to represent themselves and their teams appropriately.The confrontation occurred on Wednesday, November 11, at a hotel in Abu Dhabi, where Dvalishvili was recording an interview ahead of the Real American Freestyle wrestling event. Footage showed Nurmagomedov approaching the Georgian fighter from behind and slapping him, triggering a wider fight involving members of both groups. Dvalishvili and a friend attempted to defend themselves against Nurmagomedov and several members of his entourage, with the former UFC bantamweight champion subsequently sharing footage of his bloodied face.Abu Dhabi Police confirmed 10 arrests following the incident, with eight people detained over their alleged involvement in the fight and two others for filming it. Those arrested were referred to the Public Prosecution. Authorities have not publicly identified the individuals detained.
Abdelaziz says neither side was justified in the confrontation
The manager also addressed suggestions that Dvalishvili’s previous comments about Team Nurmagomedov had contributed to the confrontation or justified the response. Abdelaziz rejected that argument, insisting that previous disagreements could not excuse what happened at the hotel.“Two wrongs doesn’t make a right. I’m not going to sit here and say he did that or he didn’t do that. These guys are young, and there’s no words I can describe to say he was wrong. I think both parties were wrong, and two wrongs don’t make a right, and it’s a good lesson for everyone. Merab was there a couple weeks ago. He was fine and trained at Khabib’s gym. I think we have to do better as humans. We have to learn from this mistake. I’m not going to point fingers. It was extremely disrespectful to the people of Abu Dhabi, to the city of Abu Dhabi. We have to be better and conduct ourselves better. This situation could’ve been handled different but I understand these athletes are emotional. But there’s no excuse. There’s no excuse. There’s nothing I can say to make the wrong situation better.”His reference to Dvalishvili training at Khabib Nurmagomedov’s gym came amid the wider relationship between the Georgian fighter and the Dagestani camp. Abdelaziz did not attempt to assign responsibility for the confrontation through their previous disagreements, instead acknowledging that the situation could have been handled differently and that emotional reactions were no justification for violence.The apology follows criticism from UFC president Dana White, who described those involved as “a bunch of fing idiots” and called the incident “absolutely ridiculous and stupid” during a press conference on Thursday. White also said the confrontation was “not a place to go f around”, referring to the fact that those arrested were being held in Abu Dhabi.
Usman Nurmagomedov’s career and the wider team face consequences
Abdelaziz acknowledged that the incident could affect more than Usman Nurmagomedov’s immediate future, with the repercussions potentially extending to his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov and the wider team.“About Usman’s career: The guy is one of the best fighters in the world. Of course this is going to affect everybody. It’s going to affect him, Khabib, everybody. But I’m not worried about his fighting career right now. I’m worried about his well-being and how he’s going to recover from this,” he told MMA Junkie.The manager’s comments come at a difficult moment for Nurmagomedov, who had attracted attention as a potential UFC signing after completing his latest contract with the Professional Fighters League. However, White clarified on Thursday that the Russian remained under contract with the PFL and that the UFC was not currently discussing a deal with him.“He’s still under contract [with the PFL]. We’re not talking him right now anyway,” White said.Nurmagomedov has also been banned from attending Saturday’s RAF event in Abu Dhabi, a decision confirmed by co-founder Chad Bronstein. Dvalishvili was scheduled to face Marlon Moraes at the November 14 event, while Usman’s brother Umar was due to compete against Urijah Faber. Their participation remains uncertain following the confrontation, with no equivalent announcement confirming that either Umar or Dvalishvili has been barred.Abdelaziz’s apology has addressed the wider team’s responsibility and the offence caused to Abu Dhabi, but the legal proceedings remain separate. With those detained referred to the Public Prosecution, the authorities will determine the next steps in the case.
