Dvalishvili Blasts Umar Nurmagomedov

Merab Dvalishvili was asked whether he would be willing to wrestle Umar Nurmagomedov at a future RAF event and responded by ruling that out.

"No, never, f--- that guy. Whoever RAF choose, I'll fight. Except this spoiled guy,” Merab

Members of Nurmagomedov's team and supporters in attendance took exception to that. The press conference descended into a scuffle before order was restored.

The bad blood has history. Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov fought for the UFC bantamweight title in January 2025, with Dvalishvili taking a decision. Nurmagomedov's camp posted images of a badly broken hand after the fight, arguing that the injury had prevented him from competing at full capacity. The framing did not go over well in most corners of the sport.

Nurmagomedov has talked publicly about wanting a rematch. Dvalishvili has made clear he is not interested, at least not in the near future. He has an immediate rematch with current UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan in the works following his loss to Yan, and that is the fight he is focused on.

RAF Georgia takes place Saturday in Tbilisi, headlined by Dvalishvili wrestling Henry Cejudo in a matchup that brings together two former multi-division champions in a grappling context. Real American Freestyle has developed a reputation for producing chaotic moments around its events — this press conference continues that trend.

For Saturday, the focus is Cejudo. Dvalishvili is one of the sport's most relentless wrestlers, a man whose gas tank and scrambling ability have worn down opponents far more decorated than him. Cejudo, a former Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling before his MMA career, is credentialed enough to make the matchup compelling on paper.