Eight jailed over Abu Dhabi hotel brawl involving Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili camps

A court in Abu Dhabi has convicted 10 people over a mass brawl at a hotel that involved mixed martial artists Usman Nurmagomedov, Merab Dvalishvili and members of their teams, authorities announced on Friday.

The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court handed down the verdicts in connection with the fight, which erupted ahead of a wrestling event organised by Real American Freestyle, where Usman Nurmagomedov's brother Umar and Dvalishvili had been scheduled for matches against different opponents.

"An Abu Dhabi court has convicted 10 defendants in connection with a brawl inside a hotel and has sentenced them to six months' imprisonment .. along with deportation from the country," the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department said in its announcement.

ESPN reported that six members of Team Nurmagomedov received six-month prison terms, were fined 300,000 dirhams, approximately $81,600, and face deportation once their sentences are served. According to Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National, former UFC bantamweight champion Dvalishvili and a friend were fined 50,000 dirhams, about $13,600, for "disturbing public security and assaulting others".

Two more people were given six-month jail sentences for privacy violations after filming the brawl and posting the footage online, reports said. The court also ordered their phones confiscated and the footage deleted.

The fight broke out on Wednesday while Georgian fighter Dvalishvili, who was due to appear at RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday, was being interviewed in the lobby of the Yas Hilton. PFL lightweight champion Usman, the cousin of retired MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, and his associates approached Dvalishvili, and videos shared online showed Usman coming in from behind and slapping him, sparking the melee.

Usman was not on the RAF Abu Dhabi card and had travelled to the UAE capital to accompany his older brother Umar, who had been set to face Urijah Faber. On Friday, event organisers removed Umar from the card and replaced him with Saba Lazishvili, Dvalishvili's friend, who was also involved in the brawl.

RAF cofounder Chad Bronstein said Dvalishvili has been released from custody and remains available for his scheduled match with Marlon Moraes. "I'm pleased to share that Merab Dvalishvili is back with us in Abu Dhabi," Bronstein said in a statement, adding: "We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the relevant authorities in Abu Dhabi for their professionalism and support."

Dvalishvili also addressed the incident, posting several videos on social media and releasing a personal statement on X. "Just want to let everyone know I have been released, and I am good, healthy and ready to go," he wrote. "I want to thank everyone in Abu Dhabi for your help in resolving this matter .. I do hope that they release everyone; I would not press charges. I want peace and the best for all."

Wednesday's clash was not the first between Dvalishvili and Team Nurmagomedov. Tensions flared in January last year after Dvalishvili defeated Usman's older brother Umar in a UFC bantamweight title fight, and the two sides were also involved in a smaller altercation at an RAF event in Georgia in July.