Usman Nurmagomedov Sentenced To 6 Mo. In Jail, Fined About $80K For Jumping Merab

Days ago, Usman Nurmagomedov was contemplating where he'd sign as one of the biggest free agents in MMA, but the star fighter's future is now up in the air ... he was just sentenced to six months in a United Arab Emirates prison for attacking Merab Dvalishvili.

The 28-year-old PFL lightweight champ and five of his buddies were convicted Friday of "disturbing public security" and "causing panic and endangering lives," according to the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, for their role in Wednesday's melee in a hotel lobby in the city.

Each man received a six-month prison sentence, a 300,000 UAE Dirhams fine (about $82k), and an order to be deported as soon as the sentence is served.

The whole incident was captured on video (in fact, two people who filmed and posted the melee also received prison time for breaking privacy laws), with clips showing Usman approach Merab during an interview before smacking him in the face.

At that point, the brawl was on.

Dvalishvili -- who had a single buddy with him -- fought back against the attack, despite being outnumbered.

Merab and his friend weren't the aggressors, but they still faced consequences. They were held for more than a day, and ultimately fined around $13,600.

Dvalishvili is no longer in custody and is still expected to compete in his Real American Freestyle event this weekend.

As for the bad blood between the two camps, it goes back to when Merab and Usman's brother, Umar, fought at UFC 311 in January 2025. The lead-up to the scrap was contentious, and after Dvalishvili won by unanimous decision, things didn't get any better.

Then there was an incident at an RAF event this past summer, where Merab was seen slapping one of Umar's teammates during a heated argument.

Since this week's incident, many of the biggest names in the sport have spoken out against the jumping of Merab.

Usman's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, issued an apology, calling the attack unacceptable.