Usman Nurmagomedov jailed six months in Abu Dhabi over hotel brawl
An Abu Dhabi court sentenced eight people, including MMA fighter Usman Nurmagomedov, to six months in prison over a hotel brawl involving UFC star Merab Dvalishvili.
Abu Dhabi court hands six-month prison terms to Nurmagomedov and team members after hotel fight
An Abu Dhabi court has sentenced eight people to six months in prison following a mass brawl at a hotel involving mixed martial artists Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili, aroundprague.cz reports, citing Al Jazeera and the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. Six of the eight convicted — including Nurmagomedov — were also fined and ordered deported upon completing their sentences.
Six members of Nurmagomedov's team each received six months in prison, a fine of 300,000 dirhams (approximately $81,600) and deportation orders, according to ESPN. Two additional individuals were sentenced to six months for privacy violations after filming the brawl and posting the footage online. The court ordered their phones confiscated and the videos deleted.
Dvalishvili, a former UFC bantamweight champion, was fined and released. He said afterward that he would not press charges against anyone and had filed no complaint. His companion Saba Lazishvili was similarly fined 50,000 dirhams ($13,600), The National reported, for disturbing public security and assaulting others. Both were held for more than a day before release. MARCA reported that the pair had fought back despite being significantly outnumbered.
Dvalishvili said on social media that he was healthy and ready to compete, and expressed hope that all those detained would be freed.
Nurmagomedov's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, publicly apologised and described his fighter's involvement as unacceptable, according to MARCA. UFC CEO Dana White, speaking at a news conference in New York, issued a sharp rebuke of those involved, saying Abu Dhabi is not a place where fighters should disregard local laws.
The verdicts illustrate how seriously Abu Dhabi courts treated both the brawl itself and the subsequent recording and sharing of footage — each carrying its own criminal consequences under UAE privacy law.
The ruling arrives at a difficult moment for Nurmagomedov. MARCA reported he had just concluded his exclusive contract with the Professional Fighters League and was the subject of speculation regarding a potential move to the UFC. His return to competition is now uncertain.
Dvalishvili is still expected to compete against former UFC champion Marlon Moraes at RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday, according to RAF co-founder Chad Bronstein, who thanked Abu Dhabi authorities for their handling of the matter. Event organisers removed Umar Nurmagomedov from the card — he had been scheduled to face Urijah Faber — with Al Jazeera reporting that Lazishvili will replace him.
Source: Google News UAE — Courts & Fraud