Eight people sentenced to prison by Abu Dhabi court over Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili hotel brawl
The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court has convicted 10 people over a violent altercation at a hotel on Yas Island between Usman Nurmagomedov, his associates and Merab Dvalishvili.
Six defendants were sentenced to six months in prison, fined Dh300,000 each and deported after serving their sentences for disturbing public security, causing panic and endangering lives, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department said in a statement.
Two others were fined Dh50,000 each for “endangering public security and assaulting others”.
The other two people involved in the fight were sentenced to six months in prison, fined Dh300,000 each and deported “for violating privacy by using information technology to film and publish images of the fight”.
The court also ordered the confiscation of their phones and the deletion of the images.
The incident took place on Wednesday, when mixed martial arts fighter Dvalishvili, who was due to appear at RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday, was in the middle of an interview in the lobby of the Yas Hilton.
He was approached by Nurmagomedov and his associates. A fight ensued and footage of the incident was widely shared on social media.
Nurmagomedov was not expected to feature on the RAF Abu Dhabi card, but was in the capital to support his older brother, Umar, who is set to face Urijah Faber.
Dvalishvili was scheduled to face Marlon Moraes in a Catchweight Crossover match at the Etihad Arena on Saturday night as part of the RAF’s first Middle East card.
After the incident, Dvalishvili posted several videos on his social media.
“I was doing an interview for the RAF in the hotel lobby and Usman and his buddies came from behind and started beating me and my young friend,” Dvalishvili wrote in a caption. “Security was holding me back – they kept kicking us when we were down, like losers.”
Dvalishvili, 35, has a history with the Nurmagomedovs. In 2025, he defeated Umar at UFC 311 by unanimous decision to defend the UFC bantamweight title.
The rivalry has reignited again in recent months. Dvalishvili was involved in an altercation with an associate of Umar before RAF Georgia, leading to the two business insults.
Later Friday, Chad Bronstein, CEO and co-founder of the RAF, said Dvalishvili was back with the team in Abu Dhabi and thanked authorities for their support.
“I am pleased to announce that Merab Dvalishvili is back with us in Abu Dhabi. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the relevant authorities in Abu Dhabi for their professionalism and support. We remain focused on the future and are delighted to have Merab back with us,” Bronstein said in a statement.
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