MMA fighters sentenced over Abu Dhabi hotel brawl
Summarised from 4 outlets · 6 reports · Updated 13 Nov, 21:14 · Archive
Eight people were sentenced to prison and fined following a mass brawl between MMA fighters Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili at an Abu Dhabi hotel.
A brawl broke out in the lobby of the Yas Hilton hotel in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday when PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov approached former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili from behind and slapped him across the face. Dvalishvili was being interviewed for Real American Freestyle at the time. Fighting quickly escalated between the two fighters, their teams, and at least six others involved in the melee.
Dvalishvili was left bloodied and bruised. In a video posted afterwards, he described the attack as cowardly. "What a sneaky way, guys," he said. "What kind of man does this? If you want to fight, let's do it the real way." He and his cameraman, Saba Lazishvili, were initially detained by authorities.
Abu Dhabi's judicial department announced punishments within two days. Eight people were convicted of their involvement. Six received six-month prison sentences and were fined £61,000 to £62,000 each, with orders for deportation after release, for disturbing public security, causing panic and endangering lives. Two others received identical sentences but for violating privacy by filming and publishing footage of the brawl. The remaining two defendants were fined £10,200 each for disturbing public security and assaulting others.
Dvalishvili and Lazishvili were released from a UAE detention centre by Friday. Real American Freestyle CEO Chad Bronstein confirmed Dvalishvili's release and thanked Abu Dhabi authorities for their support. Dvalishvili remained scheduled to compete at Saturday's RAF event.
The incident had roots in previous tensions between the camps. Dvalishvili defeated Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman's brother, in a UFC bantamweight title fight in January 2025. Umar had been scheduled to fight American Urijah Faber at Saturday's RAF event but was removed from the card. UFC champion Islam Makhachev, a close associate of the Nurmagomedovs, suggested a previous altercation between the camps in July had contributed to Wednesday's brawl.
How it is being reported
- PFL champ Usman Nurmagomedov gets six-month jail sentence over Abu Dhabi hotel brawlDvalishvili was in the midst of an interview in the lobby of the Yas Hilton hotel when Nurmagomedov approached him from behind and slapped him in the face.New York Post · 13 Nov, 18:23
- Eight sentenced to jail over Nurmagomedov-Dvalishvili brawlEight people face prison sentences for their part in mass brawl involving MMA fighters Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili at a hotel in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.BBC News · 13 Nov, 17:15
- Fighter who ambushed UFC star in bloody hotel brawl is punished: Abu Dhabi court dishes out six-month prison sentences and fines - including £61k for filming shocking attackUsman Nurmagomedov and his entourage have been swiftly punished with prison sentences and fines in Abu Dhabi after their shocking hotel attack.Daily Mail Sport · 13 Nov, 14:58
- UFC star Merab Dvalishvili attacked by Usman Nurmagomedov in wild Abu Dhabi sceneAnother fight has moved outside the octagon.New York Post · 12 Nov, 13:35
- Nurmagomedov slaps Dvalishvili to spark hotel brawlFormer UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov are involved in a physical altercation in Abu Dhabi.BBC News · 12 Nov, 08:08
- MMA fighters, including former UFC champ, get into wild melee at Abu Dhabi hotel lobbyVideo captures Usman Nurmagomedov slapping Merab Dvalishvili in an Abu Dhabi hotel lobby, sparking a brawl that left the former UFC champ bloodied.Fox News · 11 Nov, 20:24
In this story: Merab Dvalishvili · Usman Nurmagomedov · Umar Nurmagomedov · Abu Dhabi · Real American Freestyle · UFC · PFL
This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log
Comments (0)