Opinion: UFC may condemn Nurmagomedov-Dvalishvili brawl, then cash in
Bad blood could provide the UFC with plenty of promotionalammunition for lucrative matchups. | 📷: Abu Dhabi police
Heading into UFC334, the talk was all about Ciryl Gane,JoshHokit, KaylaHarrison and AmandaNunes. Would the winner of Gane vs. Hokit really be the bestheavyweight in the world? Would the Ultimate Fighting Championship scale back its women’sbantamweight division after Harrison and Nunes do the damn thing?Then a hotel altercation in Abu Dhabi took over the conversation.Footage appeared to show UsmanNurmagomedov approaching MerabDvalishvili from behind and slapping the former UFCbantamweight champion during an interview. A brawl followed, andDvalishvili later appeared on video with blood on his face.
Much of the immediate reaction condemned Nurmagomedov. One notableexception was UFC welterweight champion IslamMakhachev, who trains with him. Makhachev pointed out thatDvalishvili slapped his friend Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov at an event inJuly. He had a point about the slap, but the circumstancesmatter.
The Abu Dhabi hotel altercation could fuel future UFC matchupsinvolving Merab Dvalishvili, Umar Nurmagomedov and IliaTopuria
The availablefootage from July shows Dvalishvili slapping Gadzhimagomedov.It doesn’t clearly show what led up to it. Dvalishvili saidGadzhimagomedov grabbed him by the neck and yelled at him. It looksas though Gadzhimagomedov let go after the slap, but I can’t sayfor certain. There’s more reason to give Dvalishvili the benefit ofthe doubt in that instance. Even if you don’t, the July slapdoesn’t justify what happened in Abu Dhabi.
I’m less interested in climbing onto a soapbox than in what the UFCdoes next. Fans on both sides will see what they want to see. Myread is that, whatever the UFC says publicly, it sees promotionalvalue in the fallout.
The incident can be a headache for the UFC and still give it a wayto sell several potentially big fights. There could be publicconsequences for the Nurmagomedov camp. I wouldn’t rule out a slapon the wrist for Dvalishvili, either.
UFC has a long history of cashing in on bad blood
Think back to some of the UFC’s biggest rivalries. Tito Ortiz woreshirts mocking the Lion’s Den. Chael Sonnenridiculed Brazil and its people. Jon Jones andDanielCormier got into a shoving match at a promotional event.ConorMcGregor attacked a bus, injuring people who had nothing to dowith his feud. Those incidents differed enormously in severity, butthe UFC found a way to make the animosity part of the sell.
UFC may condemn Abu Dhabi brawl, but will it profit from thefallout?
Am I saying the UFC shouldn’t use those incidents to promotefights? Absolutely not. The UFC is a business. Conflict gets peopleto pay attention. As Eric Bischoff once said, controversy createscash. But if the UFC finds this incident as abhorrent as it mightsay it does, there’s an easy test: See whether the footage turns upin a promo. To its credit, the UFC hasn’t used BryceMitchell‘s praise of Hitler to sell fans on watching him gethis ass kicked. Maybe there’s a line. Maybe the UFC just doesn’tthink that would sell.
Merab Dvalishvili-Umar Nurmagomedov rematch could benefit frombad blood
The most dedicated fans will tune in without drama. Reaching beyondthat audience takes more. Sometimes a title is enough, though thatseems less true than it used to be. A charismatic fighter can doit, but there’s only one ConorMcGregor. Bad blood between elite fighters can do it, too.There’s plenty of that between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedovcamp, which is why I think we could see Dvalishvili run it backwith Usman’s brother Umar sooner rather than later.
Ilia Topuria-Usman Nurmagomedov fight could give UFC anotherblockbuster
As a bonus for the UFC, IliaTopuria has weighed in on behalf of Dvalishvili, his fellowGeorgian. Topuria still has star power despite his loss to JustinGaethje, and his involvement gives the UFC another possiblematchup to think about. Usman has never fought for the promotion.Do y’all really think this will keep the UFC from signing him? Idon’t.
The incident could cost Usman money up front if he negotiates a UFCdeal. But he and Topuria fight in the same division, and if Topuriaasks for the matchup, I doubt the UFC would dismiss it. A win overUsman could even give Topuria another way to build interest in afight with Makhachev. If Makhachev were to push for the UFC to signhis teammate, I could see the promotion asking for something inreturn, especially after its recent frustration over his plans.
Aside from a mild rebuke from Dana White on Thursday, the UFChasn’t said much. I don’t expect the promotion to burn bridges withthe Nurmagomedov camp while there are fights to make. I do expectit to denounce the incident publicly. What it does when it has afight to sell will tell us more than any statement. As for Usman,more fans know his name now than they did before the brawl. Thatdoesn’t make him a winner, but it does give the UFC something towork with. We’ll see soon enough whether it does.
