Irish mixed martial artist Paul Hughes has strongly criticized PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov and his team following an alleged attack on former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the 29-year-old PFL lightweight contender expressed his outrage in a post on social media platform X.
"Absolutely disgraceful behavior. This cannot go unpunished," Hughes wrote.
The incident occurred on November 11 at a hotel in Abu Dhabi, where Dvalishvili was preparing to participate in an upcoming Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling event.
According to reports, the Georgian-American fighter was giving an interview to the event's media team when Nurmagomedov approached him and allegedly struck him in the face, triggering a confrontation involving several individuals.
Footage of the altercation quickly circulated on social media, attracting widespread attention within the MMA community.
The incident comes ahead of the RAF event scheduled for November 14, where Dvalishvili is expected to compete.
Hughes and Nurmagomedov are also familiar rivals inside the cage, having faced each other twice under the PFL banner. The Russian champion emerged victorious on both occasions, making the Irish fighter's public criticism particularly notable.
