Sean Strickland causes huge controversy with response to Usman Nurmagomedov jumping Merab Dvalishvili
Sean Strickland has weighed in on the shocking footage of Merab Dvalishvili being jumped by Usman Nurmagomedov and, as expected, it's pretty controversial.
While in Abu Dhabi for an RAF freestyle wrestling contest against Marlon Moraes, former UFC champion Dvalishvili and a friend were attacked by a group including PFL lightweight Nurmagomedov, cousin of UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Footage of the incident, shared by fellow former UFC champion Ilia Topuria, quickly went viral online and now UFC middleweight champion Strickland has offered his opinion, and it's exactly as controversial as you'd expect.
Sean Strickland slams Usman Nurmagomedov for Merab Dvalishvili attack
Following the attack, Nurmagomedov and the group he was with have reportedly been detained by authorities in Abu Dhabi, with Topuria writing: "What a disgrace. A bunch of absolute cowards. I always thought you were a bunch of mediocre individuals. Now you’ve removed every last doubt."
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Several other current and former fighters have also spoken out to condemn the incident, including Strickland, who didn't hold back in his assessment of Nurmagomedov, a fighter who many view as a future UFC superstar.
Posting on X, Strickland wrote: "Usman Nurmagomedov is the definition of a b****.
"These guys all run around pretending to be hard, but they all act like f****** dogs waiting to attack you when you're not looking."
Later, commenting on Dvalishvili’s Instagram post showing his injuries from the exchange, Strickland called for a “lifetime ban for everyone involved.”
Strickland's comments are somewhat ironic as the American has also been involved in his fair share of controversial moments, including attacking fellow middleweight Dricus du Plessis in the crowd at UFC 296 in Las Vegas on December 16, 2023.
That being said, attacking a fellow fighter one-on-one at a UFC event ahead of a scheduled bout with him is very different to a group jumping a fighter out of the blue while he's giving an interview in a hotel lobby.
The incident reportedly came after Dvalishvili slapped a wrestler from the RAF, who was close to Nurmagomedov's team, prompting him to return the favour, slapping Dvalishvili before the brawl started.
It comes after UFC boss Dana White made it very clear that the organisation was interested in signing Nurmagomedov, who is currently a free agent but remains in an exclusive negotiating period with the PFL.
Now, Nurmagomedov's actions could impact any future deal with the UFC, with the moment significantly denting how he is viewed by many MMA fans.
Topics: UFC, Sean Strickland, MMA
Ben McCrum
