Dagestan clan declares 'war' with former UFC champion; find out why.

Islam Makhachev with the Dagestan Clan. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.

PUBLICITY:

One of the most dominant groups in MMA history, the Dagestan Clan seems to have a new declared enemy. Former bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg) and rival of Umar Nurmagomedov , Merab Dvalishvili has been increasingly gaining the group's antipathy, especially after publishing a video showing his displeasure with Islam Makhachev 's victory against Ian Garry at UFC 330. In this context, the Georgian came forward to explain the situation in a video published this Wednesday (26).

According to the fighter, the reason for the controversy was simple. Upon seeing Makhachev carrying the Russian flag in the octagon, he felt uncomfortable because he had never had the same opportunity to show his nationalism while he was champion.

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“I was upset, and the reason I reacted that way is because in all five of my UFC title fights I was never allowed to bring my Georgian and American flags into the cage. I don’t hate the Russian people, I hate Russian politics and the Russian government. So, again, this was never anything personal against Islam,” he stated.

🗣️🤝 Merab Dvalishvili explains his reaction to seeing Islam Makhachev with the Russian flag in the octagon after beating Ian Machado Garry , after Islam reacted to the comments:

“I was upset, and the reason I reacted that way is because during all five of my UFC title fights I… pic.twitter.com/xzDsFMvxNg

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) August 26, 2026

Subsequently, he also lashed out at the Russian government, calling it dictatorial and corrupt. Furthermore, he said that the Russian media would likely take his words out of context in order to create a narrative in which he was against the country.

Merab became an 'enemy' of Dagestan.

Merab Dvalishvili defeated Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 (Photo: Instagram/UFC)

PUBLICITY:

Amidst the media frenzy, Umar Nurmagomedov publicly criticized his rival. Khabib's cousin stated that he sees the fight as intense and wants to defeat the Georgian as a way to honor his nation. Beyond these recent issues, the two fighters share a personal rivalry, having faced each other at UFC 311. Merab is the only athlete to have defeated Umar as a professional, in a duel marked by provocations.

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