Usman Nurmagomedov's MMA future hangs in the balance after he was sentenced to six months in prison for his part in a mass brawl at an Abu Dhabi hotel.
The Russian was the most sought-after free agent in mixed martial arts after seeing out his contract with the PFL.
Nurmagomedov, 28, was the PFL lightweight champion, boasting 22 wins from 23 pro MMA fights, with one deemed a no contest.
He was widely expected to sign with the UFC. That all changed in a moment of madness in Abu Dhabi.
What happened?
Nurmagomedov, backed up by several associates, approached fellow MMA star Merab Dvalishvili as the Georgian was being filmed in the lobby of the Yas Hilton hotel in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
The Russian slapped Dvalishvili across the face before a mass brawl ensued, involving several people, including Dvalishvili's training partner, Saba Lazishvili.
The incident was filmed and widely shared on social media.
Abu Dhabi Police made 10 arrests.
Punishments
Six of the defendants were sentenced to six months in prison, fined Dh300,000 each, and ordered to be deported after serving their sentences for disturbing public security, causing panic and endangering lives, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department said in a statement on Friday.
Two others, almost certainly Dvalishvili and Lazishvili, were fined Dh50,000 each for “disturbing public security and assaulting others”.
The remaining two people involved in the brawl were sentenced to six months in prison, fined Dh300,000 each and ordered to be deported “for violating privacy by using information technology to film and publish footage of the brawl”.
Though the names of those sentenced have not been revealed, given that Dvalishvili and Lazishvili have both been released, Usman must be one of the eight defendants ordered to serve six months in prison before being deported.
Consequences
Dvalishvili, 35, was ordered to pay a Dh50,000 fine, but he was ultimately released and has been cleared to compete in RAF Abu Dhabi at Etihad Arena this Saturday.
Lazishvili, who was not on the original card, has been handed his pro debut by the RAF.
The 21-year-old Georgian will face American Urijah Faber. Faber's original opponent was Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman's elder brother. The National has been unable to confirm if Umar was involved in Wednesday's violent attack or if he was one of those arrested.
For Usman, who is known to spend a lot of his time in Dubai and is trained by his cousin and MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, the consequences could be far more damaging to his fighting career.
Do Merab and Usman have previous?
Before Wednesday, it was not thought there was any direct animosity between Dvalishvili and Usman.
That's not to say there wasn't any beef with the Nurmagomedovs, though.
Dvalishvili beat Umar in his first title defence as UFC bantamweight champion in January 2025 by unanimous decision.
Umar's and Dvalishvili's teams had a previous altercation at a RAF event in July, which UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev – a close friend and training partner of the Nurmagomedovs – suggested led to Wednesday's brawl.
Will the UFC still sign him?
For now, the answer appears to be no. Usman's actions and incarceration have made him toxic in the MMA world.
The Russian last fought for the PFL in July, beating Archie Colgan with a first-round knockout to retain his lightweight title.
The PFL entered into a 90-day exclusive negotiation period with its fighter, but that expired on October 29, according to multiple reports. Usman reportedly turned down a $2 million offer to remain with the organisation.
Usman is now free to speak to rival organisations, and was heavily linked with a switch to the UFC, where his brother, Umar, is already on the roster.
Dana White, the UFC president, told The National in an interview last month that he was "interested" in signing the Russian but was waiting to see how negotiations with the PFL played out.
At a press conference in New York on Friday, White said he had not spoken to Usman since his arrest.
White then called the altercation "ridiculous" and "stupid" and referred to the participants as "a bunch of idiots".
It remains to be seen whether the world's leading MMA promotion decides to resurrect talks once Usman has finished his sentence. But in the fickle world of MMA, don't be surprised if he is forgiven and appears on a UFC card at some point in the future.
