Dear Cherubs,

Sometimes friendship means answering a phone call at 3 am. Sometimes it means turning up when things go sideways. And occasionally, apparently, it means standing your ground against professional fighters in a hotel lobby in Abu Dhabi.

A 21-year-old Georgian wrestler, Saba Lazishvili, has attracted considerable attention after becoming involved in a chaotic confrontation alongside former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. His performance has even attracted praise from another former UFC champion, Sean O’Malley.

The incident took place on 11 November 2026 at the Yas Hilton hotel in Abu Dhabi, where Dvalishvili was recording an interview ahead of the Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling event.

According to reporting by The National and footage circulated on social media, Usman Nurmagomedov approached Dvalishvili from behind before striking him, triggering a much larger confrontation involving members of both groups.

Dvalishvili subsequently posted footage showing his bloodied face and described how he and his younger friend had been attacked.

The 21-year-old who refused to back down

The young Georgian accompanying Dvalishvili was identified as Saba Lazishvili, a wrestler rather than an established mixed martial arts competitor.

According to Georgia Today, American fighter Sean O’Malley praised Lazishvili’s performance, highlighting the fact that the 21-year-old was primarily a wrestler without dedicated striking experience, yet managed to take down two members of the opposing group.

That is quite an introduction to the international MMA conversation. Most people spend their early twenties worrying about career prospects; Saba apparently found himself auditioning for a combat sports promotion in a hotel lobby.

Dvalishvili also reportedly described how his friend confronted both Usman and Umar Nurmagomedov during the confrontation, before dealing with other members of the group.

The Georgian reportedly joked afterwards about switching from wrestling to mixed martial arts. Given the circumstances, it is certainly an unconventional way to discover a potential career change.

From hotel confrontation to professional debut

The story took another unexpected turn when RAF announced that Lazishvili would replace Umar Nurmagomedov on its Abu Dhabi event card.

According to The National, the 21-year-old was scheduled to make his professional wrestling debut against former UFC fighter Urijah Faber on 14 November. Dvalishvili was also expected to compete against Marlon Moraes.

However, the hotel incident had consequences beyond the sporting headlines.

Reuters reported on 13 November that an Abu Dhabi court had convicted ten people in connection with the confrontation. According to The National, six received six-month prison sentences, fines of Dh300,000 and deportation orders. Two others received fines of Dh50,000, while two people accused of filming and publishing the footage received prison sentences, fines and deportation orders.

Dvalishvili and Lazishvili were released after receiving their fines.

The incident also revived attention around the rivalry between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov camp. Merab previously defeated Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision at UFC 311 in January 2025, successfully defending his bantamweight championship.

There is an important distinction between sporting rivalry and what happens outside competition. Whatever the disagreements between the individuals involved, a hotel lobby is hardly an alternative Octagon.

For Saba Lazishvili, however, the week has brought an extraordinary amount of attention. He arrived in Abu Dhabi as a young Georgian wrestler accompanying a friend and found himself heading towards a professional wrestling debut against a former UFC star.

Not exactly your average business trip, Cherubs.