Eight people have been sentenced to prison following an attack by Usman Nurmagomedov on Merab Dvalishvili in the lobby of an Abu Dhabi hotel, The National News reported, citing a social media statement from the emirate’s Judicial Department.
The Georgian fighter was giving an interview at the Yas Hilton hotel when Nurmagomedov and his companions approached him from behind and initiated a brawl, leaving Dvalishvili and his friend Saba Lazishvili injured.
All participants in the incident were taken into custody, and six unnamed defendants were sentenced to six months in prison for disturbing public order, inciting panic, and endangering lives. In addition, each of them was fined 300,000 dirhams (around $80,000) and ordered deported from the United Arab Emirates upon serving their sentences.
Two individuals who filmed the brawl were also sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, fined 300,000 dirhams each, and face deportation after serving their terms “for violating privacy by using information technology to film and publish footage of the fight.”
Two other individuals involved in the incident—Merab Dvalishvili and Saba Lazishvili—were also fined for disturbing public order and assault: the court ordered them to pay 50,000 dirhams ($14,000) each, though they avoided prison time. On Friday, the RAF organization announced that Dvalishvili had been released from custody.
According to media reports, the fine imposed on Dvalishvili and Lazishvili will also be covered by the RAF organization, for whose event the athletes were in Abu Dhabi.