Dennis Buzukja Defends UFC 310 Actions
Dennis Buzukja said he stepped between Merab Dvalishvili and a spectator during a confrontation backstage at the Dec. 7, 2024 event in Las Vegas. Buzukja was there to corner Aljamain Sterling, who lost a unanimous decision to Movsar Evloev. Buzukja later acknowledged exchanging punches with the spectator.
On Aljamain Sterling’s The Weekly Scraps podcast, Buzukja said he approached the spectator and tried to calm him down. He said the man punched him first, and that he reacted before security separated them. This is Buzukja’s account of the exchange; MMA Fighting’s report also noted that video showed the two trading punches, while the footage did not establish all that happened beforehand.
The spectator had also confronted Dvalishvili as the group returned backstage. Dvalishvili later alleged the man was connected to Umar Nurmagomedov’s team, a claim reported at the time but not independently established in the footage. Buzukja said he hoped no charges would be filed.
The Nevada Athletic Commission later approved a disciplinary agreement: a nine-month suspension, a $2,500 fine and $157.04 in attorney fees. The suspension could be reduced to six months if Buzukja completed approved community service in Nevada. The commission’s action followed the punches captured on video; it was not merely a review that might happen.
