Merab Dvalishvili is convinced that his recent altercation with a fan at UFC 310 was not a mere coincidence.
On Saturday night, the UFC bantamweight champion found himself in a heated incident while walking backstage after supporting his friend and teammate Aljamain Sterling during his fight against Movsar Evloev. Footage taken by fans in the vicinity captured the moment, showing Dvalishvili being restrained by security while fellow teammate and UFC fighter Dennis Buzukja engaged in a physical confrontation with the individual.
Following the incident, the fan was reportedly removed from the arena. UFC CEO Dana White remarked on the situation, referring to Dvalishvili as his “mini-[Sean] Strickland” due to a series of events happening outside the octagon, including a previous confrontation Dvalishvili had with a heckler during the Craig Jones Invitational in Las Vegas a few months prior.
Dvalishvili is now asserting that the confrontation was orchestrated, claiming that the individual who approached him is a “teammate and friend” of his next opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov.
In a tweet, he expressed his frustration, stating, “More lies, disrespect, and deliberate provocations from Umar’s team. Here’s the real story,” indicating that he feels this was a calculated move against him.
The “real story” is supported by a minute-long video that purports to show that the person involved in the incident is a close friend and supporter of Nurmagomedov. The voiceover in the video claims to document multiple instances where this individual has posed with Nurmagomedov and his teammates, including UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Additionally, the video suggests that the altercation stemmed from a perceived slight by Dvalishvili towards Shavkat Rakhmonov, who fought Ian Machado Garry later that night at UFC 310.
While these claims remain unverified by Nurmagomedov or his team, Dvalishvili firmly believes he was set up and drawn into a deliberate confrontation. During the UFC 310 post-fight press conference, White acknowledged that this situation is not an isolated incident for Dvalishvili.
Moreover, White noted that fighters often develop conspiracy theories about being opposed by others, which could fuel Dvalishvili’s motivation as he prepares for his upcoming showdown against Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 on January 18.
“Fighters are a paranoid bunch,” White remarked. “There’s always some conspiracy against them—whether it’s us or other people. We create fights people want to see; they either win or lose based on their performance, yet they tend to become conspiracy theorists.”
He continued, “They always think that somebody is against them, and maybe that’s what they need to bolster their mindset for competition.”
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