The question that opened the Nurmagomedov-Dvalishvili section of White’s week came at the UFC 334 pre-fight press conference in New York on Thursday. His answer did not tiptoe.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous and stupid. They’re all in jail,” White told reporters at the UFC 334 presser, as relayed by Sherdog. “That is not a place to go f*** around.”
White also warned fighters that the fallout travels with them, telling reporter Adam Glyn the episode was “never good for business” and left everybody connected to it looking bad.
Ten detained, two for filming
Abu Dhabi Police have since confirmed that 10 people were arrested after the fight at a Yas Island hotel. According to The National, eight were held for fighting and two for filming the incident. All were referred to the Public Prosecution for further proceedings.
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The force called the altercation “a fighting over previous disputes between a number of individuals” that “took place at the entrance of a hotel,” and said it would “deal firmly with behaviour that threatens public safety.”
How the brawl started
Footage circulating since Wednesday shows Usman Nurmagomedov confronting Dvalishvili in the lobby and striking him across the face before members of both camps piled in. Dvalishvili said he and a friend were ambushed from behind during an interview.
In a video he posted after the fact, Dvalishvili addressed his attackers directly, saying as reported by LADbible: “You came just because there’s the two of us? We bleed, we fight, we war, but you guys are just sneaky guys.”
The animosity is not new. Dvalishvili beat Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman’s brother, in a UFC bantamweight title fight, and a July incident between the two camps had already drawn attention before Wednesday.
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Fight-card fallout
Both men were in Abu Dhabi for the Real American Freestyle wrestling card on Saturday. Gulf News reported that RAF confirmed on Thursday that Nurmagomedov, an unbeaten lightweight free agent, would not take part. Dvalishvili was scheduled to wrestle Marlon Moraes, and the organization said it still hoped he could be released in time to compete despite injuries from the attack.
As of the UFC 334 press conference, Dvalishvili’s status for Saturday’s RAF card remained in the hands of the Abu Dhabi public prosecutor.
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