An Abu Dhabi court has convicted 10 people over Wednesday's hotel brawl involving Usman Nurmagomedov, his associates and Merab Dvalishvili, and Dvalishvili was released from detention on Friday, November 13. According to an Abu Dhabi Judicial Department statement reported by The National, eight of the 10 were sentenced to six months in prison and deportation, and two were fined.
What the court decided
The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court convicted 10 people over the fight in the lobby of the Yas Hilton hotel on Yas Island. According to the statement:
- Six defendants received six months in prison, a fine of Dh300,000 each (about $81,700) and deportation after serving their sentences, for "disturbing public security, causing panic and endangering lives."
- Two defendants were fined Dh50,000 each (about $13,600) for "disturbing public security and assaulting others."
- Two defendants received six months in prison, a Dh300,000 fine and deportation for "violating privacy by using information technology to film and publish footage of the brawl." The court ordered their phones confiscated and the footage deleted.
Who was sentenced
The statement, as reported by The National, does not name any defendants. MMA Junkie reports that the six sentenced for the brawl are members of Team Nurmagomedov, and that Dvalishvili and his friend were the two fined Dh50,000 each without a prison sentence, citing The National. Ariel Helwani also wrote on X that the six are members of Team Nurmagomedov.
MMA Junkie's headline says Usman Nurmagomedov and team members received prison sentences, and Georgian outlets have reported that Usman is among the six and that Georgian wrestler Saba Lazishvili was the second person fined. The court itself has not published any names.
Dvalishvili released
Helwani reported that Dvalishvili and Lazishvili were released from a UAE detention center, where they had been held since being detained on Wednesday, almost 48 hours after the brawl. He said RAF CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein worked with local authorities to secure the release and was at the center when it happened.
Bronstein said in a statement: "I am pleased to share that Merab Dvalishvili is back with us in Abu Dhabi. 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." The statement does not say whether Dvalishvili will still compete on Saturday.
How the brawl started
Dvalishvili was giving an interview for RAF in the hotel lobby when Nurmagomedov and his associates approached him and a fight broke out. MMA Junkie reports that Nurmagomedov slapped Dvalishvili first. Footage spread widely on social media. Dvalishvili wrote: "Was doing an interview for RAF in hotel lobby and Usman and his buddies came up from behind and started punching me and my young friend. Security was holding me – they kept kicking us when we were down like losers."
The two camps have history. Dvalishvili beat Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision at UFC 311 in January 2025 to defend the UFC bantamweight title. According to MMA Junkie, the attack was reportedly retaliation after Dvalishvili allegedly slapped Umar's friend Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov backstage at RAF Georgia in August. Usman was not on the RAF Abu Dhabi card; he was in town to support his older brother Umar.
What comes next
RAF Abu Dhabi takes place on Saturday, November 14 at Etihad Arena, the promotion's first card in the Middle East, starting at 8 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET, 17:00 CET). Dvalishvili is scheduled to face Marlon Moraes in a catchweight crossover match, and Umar Nurmagomedov is booked against Urijah Faber. RAF had announced no change to the card at the time of writing.
For Usman, the case comes in the middle of his contract situation. MMA Junkie describes him as a free agent after he completed his PFL contract and declined a new deal, and says he has been widely expected to sign with the UFC. Both UFC CEO Dana White and his manager Ali Abdelaziz have spoken out against his actions; whether the case affects any UFC deal remains to be seen.
The fighters
Pugna MMA's database lists Dvalishvili at 21-6 and No. 1 at UFC bantamweight, with his most recent bout a unanimous decision loss to Petr Yan in a title fight at UFC 333 on October 24. Umar Nurmagomedov is 20-2 and No. 5 at bantamweight, coming off a second-round TKO loss to Song Yadong on August 29. Moraes is 23-13-1 and last fought in June 2023, while Faber, 35-11, last fought at UFC 245 in December 2019. Usman Nurmagomedov is 22-0 with one no contest; our database still lists him as PFL lightweight champion after his first-round TKO of Archie Colgan on July 31.
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Sources
This article was generated with AI and may contain errors.