UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev shared his reaction to the video of Merab Dvalishvili getting attacked by Usman Nurmagomedov.
Immediately, MMA fans condemned Nurmagomedov for the cowardly attack, as he came up behind Dvalishvili and slapped him, leading to a brawl.
Makhachev, though, has defended Nurmagomedov’s decision.
Islam Makhachev Defends Usman Nurmagomedov
Taking to his social media, Makhachev issued a statement defending Nurmagomedov.
“To those who are now condemning Usman and the guys and insulting them: why were you silent when Merab hit a Dagestani wrestler for no reason and insulted his honor? The man approached him to talk with no ill intent. What happened today was started by Merab in his own homeland when he took it upon himself to hit a guest and insult his mother,” Makhachev wrote in a statement.
Fans Disagreeing With the Attack
While Makhachev can try to justify what happened, most MMA fans are not happy with what they saw, as it appeared to be a cowardly attack from behind Dvalishvili’s back by a group of fighters against just two men who weren’t prepared for it.
While both sides may have said some things against each other in the lead-up to the incident, it’s just a bad look when you have a group of men jumping two smaller men who weren’t expecting it to happen.
So, it’s a bad look for Makhachev as well, since he is actively going out on social media and defending these guys from what happened.
As for any potential consequences, it’s still far too early to say, as this incident took place ahead of an RFA event, not ahead of a UFC card.
But it will be interesting to see what UFC president Dana White has to say if he’s asked this weekend at UFC 334, as this was a terrible look for Nurmagomedov given that he is trying to get signed with the UFC now that his PFL contract has finally ended.
Islam Makhachev Reacts to Merab Dvalishvili Getting Attacked