Eight people have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a mass brawl involving MMA fighters Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili at a hotel in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The incident reportedly began after Russian fighter Nurmagomedov was seen slapping Georgian fighter Dvalishvili from behind.
Abu Dhabi police confirmed 10 arrests were made following the fight, which involved both fighters and members of their teams. All 10 defendants have been convicted.
Six of the defendants received six-month prison sentences, fines of £62,000 each, and deportation orders after serving their sentences. They were convicted for "disturbing public security, causing panic and endangering lives."
Two other defendants received identical punishments for "violating privacy by using information technology to film and publish footage of the brawl." The remaining two defendants were fined £10,200 each for "disturbing public security and assaulting others."
None of the defendants have been named, but Real American Freestyle (RAF) co-founder Chad Bronstein stated that Dvalishvili has been released from custody. Dvalishvili is scheduled to compete at a RAF event in the UAE on Saturday against Marlon Moraes.