Usman Nurmagomedov, five others sentenced to six months in Abu Dhabi prison for attack on Merab Dvalishvili

Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili were also fined for the violent altercation

By CBS Sports Staff

Nov 13, 2026 at 9:16 am ET • 1 min read

Usman Nurmagomedov is facing six months in prison following the Wednesday incident in Abu Dhabi. Nurmagomedov, along with five others involved, will also have to pay a roughly $82,000 fine and be ordered to deportation following their prison terms for their part in the altercation that left Merab Dvalishvili battered and bloodied, according to a statement from the Abu Dhabi judicial department.

Nurmagomedov and his associates approached Dvalishvili and his friend at the fighter hotel in Abu Dhabi ahead of Real American Freestyle wrestling event. Video appeared to show Nurmagomedov slap Dvalishvili before the brawl ensued.

"[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. "Security was holding me -- they kept kicking us when we were down like losers."

All parties involved were immediately detained by authorities. 

RAF CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein announced shortly after sentencing that Dvalishvili and his friend, Saba Lazishvili, had been released from police custody.

Nurmagomedov is currently a free agent who was recently signed to the Professional Fighters League and, before that, Bellator. He has been seen at recent UFC events, supporting his brother, Umar Nurmagomedov, and teammate, Islam Makhachev.