Merab Dvalishvili has already proven he is better than Umar Nurmagomedov. But he doesn’t want the smoke with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin in an RAF match. While appearing in an interview with Adam Zubayraev recently, the former UFC bantamweight champion pointed towards a restrictive policy from his promotion that’s preventing the fight from happening. Not that he wants to face Nurmagomedov anyway. 

“UFC has a rule that UFC fighters can’t compete against each other [in RAF],” Dvalishvili said. “That’s what Danny Ruby told me. But anyway, I don’t like this guy because he disrespected me [a] couple [of] times on Twitter. He says he never did, but it’s his responsibility for whoever writes off his name on Twitter. Wrestling is just for fun, and for fun, I will never do a fun matchup against this guy because it’s not fun for me. It’s real.”

Merab Dvalishvili signed with Real American Freestyle Wrestling (RAF) back in February and was scheduled to make his promotional debut by headlining RAF 08 against Henry Cejudo. However, a last-minute injury to Cejudo forced the bout’s cancellation. Meanwhile, Umar Nurmagomedov does not appear to have any ties with RAF. For a potential matchup to materialize, the promotion would first need to bring the Russian onto its roster.

The two previously met in January 2025 at UFC 311, where Dvalishvili secured a unanimous decision victory over Nurmagomedov. A comparable situation has already occurred involving Colby Covington and Arman Tsarukyan. Covington expressed interest in facing Tsarukyan under RAF rules but claimed the UFC blocked the matchup. While both fighters seemed open to the idea, the promotion’s approval remains a key obstacle.

In the meantime, RAF CEO Chad Bronstein has offered somewhat contradictory remarks regarding the possibility of matching two active UFC fighters in an RAF bout.

Is Merab Dvalishvili lying about the UFC restriction to avoid the Umar Nurmagomedov fight in the RAF? 

During an interview with Ariel Helwani, Chad Bronstein explained that a matchup between two UFC fighters is possible under the right conditions. However, there is a key caveat.

“As long as we’re not interfering with fight camps or putting together matchups the UFC has plans for, everything runs smoothly,” Bronstein said. “Active fighters are reaching out to Hunter asking, ‘Hey, are you good with us wrestling?’ and the relationship has been strong.”

Based on that stance, if the UFC is not planning a rematch between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov, the two could theoretically meet under the RAF banner. However, that logic raises questions. 

By the same reasoning, Covington and Tsarukyan should have been cleared to compete as well, something that has yet to materialize.

From the looks of things, it appears Merab Dvalishvili has no interest in fighting Umar Nurmagomedov in a RAF fight. However, even if he did, the UFC and a lack of contract between the RAF and Nurmagomedov are preventing the fight from happening.