Eight people have been handed six-month prison sentences following the violent altercation involving Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili at a hotel in Abu Dhabi earlier this week, according to local media and as noted by Ariel Helwani. A total of 10 individuals were convicted by the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court, with eight also facing substantial fines and deportation following their release.
According to The National, six defendants were sentenced to six months in prison, fined Dh300,000 each and ordered to be deported after serving their sentences for disturbing public security, causing panic and endangering lives. Two other individuals received the same punishments for filming and publishing footage of the confrontation, with the court also ordering the confiscation of their phones and deletion of the recordings.
The remaining two defendants were fined Dh50,000 each for disturbing public security and assault, but were not handed prison sentences. The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department confirmed the punishments in a statement on Friday, although authorities have not publicly identified which individuals received the respective sentences. It therefore remains unclear whether Nurmagomedov or Dvalishvili are among those facing imprisonment.
The convictions follow Wednesday’s confrontation at the Yas Hilton hotel, where Dvalishvili was conducting an interview ahead of Saturday’s RAF Abu Dhabi event. Nurmagomedov and several associates approached the former UFC bantamweight champion before a fight erupted, with footage of the incident subsequently circulating on social media. “Was doing an interview for RAF in hotel lobby and Usman and his buddies came up from behind and started punching me and my young friend,” Dvalishvili wrote. “Security was holding me – they kept kicking us when we were down like losers.”
The incident prompted Abu Dhabi police to arrest 10 individuals, including two people accused of recording and distributing footage of the confrontation. The subsequent court proceedings resulted in prison sentences for eight defendants and financial penalties for all 10. RAF CEO Chad Bronstein later confirmed that Dvalishvili had returned to the promotion’s team in Abu Dhabi, thanking local authorities for their professionalism and support.
Dvalishvili had been scheduled to face former UFC contender Marlon Moraes at Saturday’s RAF event, while Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman’s older brother, was due to compete against Urijah Faber. The confrontation comes amid longstanding tensions between Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov camp, including the Georgian’s unanimous decision victory over Umar at UFC 311 in January 2025.
