Usman Nurmagomedov along with five others will have to pay a roughly $82,000 fine following a violent altercation in Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court convicted 10 people in connection with a hotel brawl involving Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili, according to a statement from the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. Six defendants received six-month prison sentences, fines of 300,000 dirhams each, and deportation orders after serving their time for disturbing public security, causing panic, and endangering lives.
Two other individuals were fined 50,000 dirhams each for disturbing public security and assaulting others. The remaining two defendants were sentenced to six months in prison, fined 300,000 dirhams each, and ordered to be deported “for violating privacy by using information technology to film and publish footage of the brawl,” as stated by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. The court also ordered their phones confiscated and the footage deleted.
The incident occurred when Dvalishvili, who was scheduled to appear at RAF Abu Dhabi, was conducting an interview in the lobby of the Yas Hilton and was approached by Nurmagomedov and his associates. “[I] 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,” Dvalishvili wrote in a caption on social media.
“Security was holding me — they kept kicking us when we were down like losers.”
Dana White criticized the situation during an interview. “That is not a place to go f*ck around,” White said. He also took a shot at RAF Wrestling over its security management.
Following the sentencing, RAF CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein announced that Dvalishvili and his friend, Saba Lazishvili, had been released from police custody. “I am pleased to share that Merab Dvalishvili is back with us in Abu Dhabi,” Bronstein said in a statement, expressing appreciation to local authorities for their professionalism and support.
Heading into the events of the week, the sports conversation centered heavily around matchups involving Ciryl Gane, Josh Hokit, Kayla Harrison, and Amanda Nunes at UFC 334. However, the hotel altercation involving Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili quickly shifted attention across the mixed martial arts community, drawing commentary from several prominent figures.
Among those reacting was Islam Makhachev, who trains with Nurmagomedov. Makhachev pointed to an earlier incident involving Dvalishvili and Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov at an event in July, where available footage showed Dvalishvili slapping Gadzhimagomedov.
Dvalishvili, 35, previously defeated Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision at UFC 311 in 2025 to defend the UFC bantamweight title. The rivalry between the camps has continued to simmer through subsequent months, marked by trading insults and additional encounters ahead of RAF Georgia.
Nurmagomedov was not scheduled to feature at RAF Abu Dhabi but was in the capital to support his older brother, Umar, who is slated to face Urijah Faber. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili had been scheduled to face Marlon Moraes in a Catchweight Crossover match at Etihad Arena as part of RAF’s first card in the Middle East.
Reflecting on the wider security implications, White compared the Yas Hilton situation to previous high-profile incidents, such as the brawl involving Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team and Dillon Danis at UFC 229. White said that promotions must remain vigilant about known rivalries and fighter proximities, taking responsibility for monitoring potential friction points.
The legal fallout and the accompanying social media footage have generated substantial public engagement, bringing the underlying feud back into focus. Analysts and promoters note that the bad blood between the camps could establish promotional momentum for potential future matchups involving Dvalishvili, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Ilia Topuria.