TLDR
- Kevin Vallejos and Aljamain Sterling are scheduled to fight at UFC Qatar on November 21
- Merab Dvalishvili was slapped and attacked by Usman Nurmagomedov and his team at an Abu Dhabi hotel
- Vallejos jokingly offered on social media to team up with Sterling to get revenge for Dvalishvili
- Dvalishvili posted photos showing cuts and bruises from the altercation
- Multiple UFC fighters including Ilia Topuria and Sean Strickland criticized Nurmagomedov for the attack
Sources: sherdog.com | sportscapemagazine.com | boxingnews.com
Kevin Vallejos has made an unusual offer to his upcoming opponent Aljamain Sterling following a violent altercation involving Sterling’s close friend and training partner. The Argentine featherweight took to social media with a tongue-in-cheek proposal after the incident in Abu Dhabi.
Vallejos and Sterling are scheduled to face each other at UFC Qatar on November 21. Vallejos enters the bout with an 18-1 record while Sterling carries a 26-5 professional record.
The social media post came after former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili was attacked at an Abu Dhabi hotel. Dvalishvili was shooting a video when Usman Nurmagomedov confronted him and slapped him, leading to an all-out brawl.
Marif Piraev submits Aljamain Sterling in a grappling match
Marif is 28-4 in pro mma and has fought at 155 and 170 . His only two stoppage losses are to Tofiq Musaev and Matuesz Gamrot pic.twitter.com/J4IIhuWh0Y
— schwick (@schwick6) May 24, 2025
Dvalishvili Posts Injuries From Brawl
Nurmagomedov and his entourage jumped Dvalishvili during the confrontation. The Georgian fighter later shared photos on social media showing cuts and bruises he sustained during the incident.
Vallejos responded to the viral incident by asking Sterling where he was so they could go to Abu Dhabi together. “We are in Qatar. Sterling where are you? Let’s go to Abu Dhabi and beat up the bad guys,” Vallejos wrote on X, tagging his scheduled opponent.
The message included a handshake emoji and appeared to be light-hearted in nature. Sterling, who trains with Dvalishvili at Serra-Longo Fight Team, has not yet responded publicly to his opponent’s offer.
Other Fighters Criticize Nurmagomedov
While Vallejos kept his response playful, other fighters in the UFC community took a more serious stance. Several high-profile fighters criticized Nurmagomedov for his actions during the hotel confrontation.
Ilia Topuria, Sean Strickland, Gilbert Burns, and Dakota Ditcheva all spoke out against the attack. Nina Drama went further and called for the UFC to ban Usman Nurmagomedov from the organization.
Islam Makhachev defended his teammate Nurmagomedov following the incident. The UFC lightweight champion’s comments came as the MMA community continued to discuss the Abu Dhabi brawl.
Dvalishvili served as the UFC bantamweight champion before losing the title. He and Sterling have been longtime training partners and close friends at their New York-based gym.
The incident occurred while fighters were in the Middle East for UFC events. Vallejos confirmed his location in Qatar when he made his social media post asking Sterling to join him.
UFC Qatar is set to proceed as scheduled on November 21 with Vallejos and Sterling’s bout still on the card. Neither fighter has suggested that the recent events will affect their preparation for the fight.
