Eight people have received prison sentences for their involvement in a violent mass brawl that took place at an Abu Dhabi hotel on Wednesday, an incident that included MMA fighters Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili. Merab Dvalishvili (left) has won 21 of his 27 professional fights.
Video footage of the confrontation appeared to show Nurmagomedov, 28, approaching Dvalishvili, 35, from behind before slapping the former UFC bantamweight champion. This sparked a larger altercation involving both camps, leading to the arrest of 10 individuals by local police.
According to a statement from the Abu Dhabi judicial department, all 10 defendants involved in the melee have been convicted. Legal reports indicate that six of those arrested were handed six-month prison sentences, significant fines of £62,000 each, and deportation orders to be executed upon the completion of their jail terms. These individuals were convicted for “disturbing public security, causing panic and endangering lives.” With Abu Dhabi police later confirming the incident led to 10 arrests being made, fighting then broke out between the two and members of their teams. External went into more detail, adding that six of the defendants were sentenced to six months in prison, fined £62,000 each and ordered to be deported after completing their sentences, a report by Abu Dhabi news outlet the National.
Two additional defendants received the same six-month prison sentence and financial penalty for “violating privacy by using information technology to film and publish footage of the brawl.” The final two individuals involved were each ordered to pay fines of £10,200 for “disturbing public security and assaulting others.”
Following the fight, Dvalishvili released a video while receiving treatment for facial injuries, in which he labeled Nurmagomedov and his team as “snakes.
Despite the incident, Real American Freestyle (RAF) co-founder Chad Bronstein confirmed that Dvalishvili has been released from custody and remains in Abu Dhabi. Bronstein expressed appreciation for the local authorities and stated that his team is focused on moving forward with their scheduled activities.
Dvalishvili is still slated to compete at the upcoming RAF event this Saturday against Marlon Moraes. Conversely, Nurmagomedov had been in the region to support his brother, Umar, who was initially scheduled to face Urijah Faber. Due to the unfolding events, Umar has been replaced by Saba Lazishvili, a teammate of Dvalishvili who was reportedly involved in the brawl but has since been released.
This confrontation follows a previous clash between the two camps at an event in July. UFC champion Islam Makhachev, a training partner of the Nurmagomedov brothers, suggested that the prior tension served as a catalyst for Wednesday’s violence.
UFC president Dana White addressed the incident on Friday, describing the altercation as “ridiculous” and “stupid,” while referring to those who participated as “a bunch of idiots.” Nurmagomedov, currently the PFL lightweight champion, is out of contract, though White noted he has not had any direct discussions with the Russian fighter regarding a potential transition to the UFC.
