Eight sentenced to jail over Nurmagomedov-Dvalishvili brawl
· Sports · BBC Sport, Al Jazeera
Eight individuals were convicted and 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. Six defendants received six-month prison terms, £62,000 fines, and deportation orders for disturbing public security and endangering lives, while two others were jailed for filming the incident. Two additional defendants were fined £10,200 each for disturbing public security and assaulting others. Dvalishvili, 35, was released from custody and is set to compete against Brazilian Marlon Moraes on Saturday, while Nurmagomedov, 28, supports his brother Umar in an upcoming fight against American Urijah Faber. The incident followed a prior altercation between their teams at a July RAF event, with Islam Makhachev suggesting it provoked Wednesday's violence.
Why it matters
The sentences directly impact the fighters' participation in the upcoming RAF event in Abu Dhabi and highlight legal consequences for public disturbances involving high-profile athletes, affecting their immediate competition schedules.
Read the original report — BBC Sport
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