Mixed martial arts star Usman Nurmagomedov sentenced to 6 months in jail

Mixed martial arts fighter Usman Nurmagomedov has been sentenced to six months in prison in the United Arab Emirates over a hotel lobby brawl involving fellow fighter Merab Dvalishvili, TMZ reported.

Nurmagomedov, 28, and five other men were convicted on Friday of “disturbing public security” and “causing panic and endangering lives”, according to the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. Each was sentenced to six months in prison, fined 300,000 UAE dirhams (about US$82,000) and ordered to be deported after serving his sentence.

The confrontation took place on Wednesday at a hotel in Abu Dhabi. Footage showed Nurmagomedov approaching Dvalishvili during an interview and striking him in the face. Dvalishvili, who was accompanied by one friend, fought back as the altercation escalated.

TMZ reported that two people who filmed and posted footage of the brawl also received prison sentences for breaching privacy laws.

Dvalishvili and his friend were held for more than a day and fined, with TMZ putting the amount at about US$13,600 without specifying whether that was a combined figure. Dvalishvili has been released and is still expected to compete at a Real American Freestyle event this weekend.

Tensions between the two camps date back to UFC 311 in January 2025, when Dvalishvili defeated Nurmagomedov’s brother Umar by unanimous decision after a contentious build-up. At a Real American Freestyle event over the summer, Dvalishvili was seen slapping one of Umar’s teammates during an argument.

Several prominent figures in the sport criticised the attack. Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, apologised and described it as unacceptable. Nurmagomedov, the Professional Fighters League lightweight champion, had been weighing where to sign as a free agent before the incident. He is serving his sentence and is expected to complete it in May.