Russian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Umar Nurmagomedov will not compete at the RAF wrestling league event in Abu Dhabi after a mass hotel brawl sparked a scandal, infohub.kz reports.
The show in the capital of the United Arab Emirates is scheduled for November 14. Nurmagomedov was originally set to face American Urijah Faber. On Friday, however, RAF organizers announced that the American's new opponent would be Georgian wrestler Saba Lazishvili — the same man who, alongside former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion Merab Dvalishvili, took part in a mass brawl against Usman Nurmagomedov and his team.
The incident occurred on November 11. Dvalishvili was in the hotel lobby when Nurmagomedov approached him from behind, called out to him and slapped him. The Georgian was then kicked, after which a mass brawl broke out in which Dvalishvili and Lazishvili suffered head injuries.
Following the investigations, Usman Nurmagomedov was arrested for six months. Seven other people received the same punishment. There is no official data on whether Umar Nurmagomedov is among them: Dvalishvili mentioned him as a participant in the brawl, but this has not been confirmed.
Both Georgian athletes were fined but released from custody. Dvalishvili's wrestling bout against Brazil's Marlon Moraes at the Abu Dhabi tournament remains scheduled.