Usman Nurmagomedov could face six months in prison for his attack on Merab Dvalishvili, per Abu Dhabi’s judicial department.
On Wednesday, Nurmagomedov slapped Dvalishvili at a hotel in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, sparking a brawl in which the Russian and his allies outnumbered the UFC star.
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PFL champion Nurmagomedov, 29, appeared to strike Dvalishvili, 35, and his friend Saba Lazishvili, 21, numerous times, with the Georgian pair fighting back. Members of Nurmagomedov’s entourage also threw strikes, and Dvalishvili was ultimately left bloodied.
Usman Nurmagomedov at a press conference in 2025 (Getty)
All those involved in the brawl were detained, per UFC president and CEO Dana White, who also played down rumours that his promotion would be signing Nurmagomedov.
Dvalishvili and Usman’s brother Umar – whom Dvalishvili beat in a UFC title fight in 2025 – were both scheduled to wrestle at a Real American Freestyle (RAF) event in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, and RAF has now said Dvalishvili has been released from custody.
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“I’m pleased to share that Merab Dvalishvili is back with us in Abu Dhabi,” wrote RAF CEO Chad Bronstein on X. “We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the relevant authorities in Abu Dhabi for their professionalism and support. We remain focused on moving forward and are pleased to have Merab back with us.”
However, Abu Dhabi’s judicial department shared a statement on X that read: “Abu Dhabi court convicts 10 defendants in hotel brawl, sentencing them to 6 months in prison, a Dh300,000 fine and deportation.”
A report by The National specified: “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 others were fined Dh50,000 each for ‘disturbing public security and assaulting others’. The remaining two people involved in the brawl were sentenced to six months in prison, fined Dh300,000 each and ordered to be deported ‘for violating privacy by using information technology to film and publish footage of the brawl’.
Merab Dvalishvili was left bloodied and bruised after being jumped by Nurmagomedov (Merab Dvalishvili/Instagram)
“The court also ordered the confiscation of their phones and deletion of the footage,” The National added.
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None of the defendants were named, but Nurmagomedov is expected to be among the 10.
On Thursday, his manager Ali Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie: “I’m truly sorry. It’s embarrassing what happened. I hope these young men will get a good lesson. This is something that should not happen again. All of our guys have to set a good example.
“I haven’t slept for a couple days, trying to make it better. I don’t think there’s any words I can say to make this better. To the people of Abu Dhabi, to the leadership, this is something that will never happen again. We should do better as Muslims, as human beings, as athletes […] What happened was something unacceptable and should never happen again.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
