Saba Lazashvili stuns Urijah Faber at RAF Abu Dhabi days after viral brawl

Saba Lazashvili capped a remarkable week by defeating former WEC champion Urijah Faber 12-7 at RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday, just days after the 21-year-old Georgian wrestler became an overnight sensation for defending Merab Dvalishvili during a street brawl involving Usman Nurmagomedov and members of his entourage.

Lazashvili, who had not even been scheduled to compete when he arrived in Abu Dhabi, accepted the short-notice match against the MMA legend and delivered one of the event’s standout performances. He trailed early but turned the contest decisively in the third period, securing a takedown and repeatedly turning Faber to pile up points. By the final whistle, the scoreline read 12-7 in Lazashvili’s favour, and Faber was unable to generate enough offence to close the gap.

“I want to say thank you to everybody coming here and supporting,” Lazashvili said after the victory. “I’m really grateful for everything. [Merab] said I will be champion of the UFC in the future! I’ll wrestle everybody here.”

The win arrives on the back of extraordinary circumstances. Prior to Wednesday’s altercation, Lazashvili was largely unknown outside Georgian wrestling circles — a training partner to UFC bantamweight champion Dvalishvili with little international profile. His willingness to stand alongside Dvalishvili when Nurmagomedov’s group confronted them changed that overnight, turning him into a viral figure and, apparently, a sought-after name on the RAF card.

The combination of that high-profile moment and a convincing upset over a fighter of Faber’s stature makes it difficult to imagine Saturday’s bout being the last significant opportunity that comes Lazashvili’s way. At 21, he has announced himself to a global audience in the most dramatic fashion possible.