Video: UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili held back after acquaintance slaps unruly heckler in UFC Paris crowd

Newly crowned UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili nearly found himself in a bad situation earlier today (Sat., Sept. 28, 2024) at UFC Paris live on ESPN+ from inside Accor Arena in Paris, France, when the Georgian fighter got into an altercation with a few unruly French fans.

Dvalishvili, who is coming off a dominant decision win over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 inside the Sphere to claim the 135-pound title, has been the talk of the town since extending his current UFC win streak to 11. The UFC champion journeyed out to Paris this week to enjoy the festivities, help his teammate Matt Frevola, and slap some booty.

Obviously, Dvalishvili attended Saturday’s fight card to witness some of the best fighters France had to offer and support “Steamrolla” in his main card matchup again Fares Ziam (it didn’t go well). It’s unknown at this time if Dvalishvili got into his crowd altercation before or after Frevola’s knockout loss, but things luckily didn’t completely get out of hand.

Check out the footage below:

Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time Dvalishvili tried to engage with a fiery member from a hostile crowd. Back in August, Dvalishvili landed in hot water after scaling a barrier at the Craig Jones Invitational and physically putting his hands on a fan. Dvalishvili ultimately maintained his cool on Saturday, but his acquaintance did jump up and hit the French fan.

For complete UFC Paris results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.