UAE court jails eight people following hotel brawl involving MMA fighters

Eight individuals have been sentenced to prison time and fines in the UAE following a mass brawl at an Abu Dhabi hotel on Wednesday. Video footage of the incident appeared to show MMA fighter Usman Nurmagomedov approaching Merab Dvalishvili from behind and slapping him, which sparked a fight between the two fighters and members of their teams. Abu Dhabi police subsequently detained 10 people in connection with the incident, all of whom have now been convicted. Six defendants received six-month prison sentences, substantial fines, and deportation orders for disturbing public security, causing panic, and endangering lives. Two others received the same sentence for filming and publishing footage of the brawl, while the remaining two were given fines for disturbing public security and assault. Meanwhile, officials confirmed that Dvalishvili has been released from custody ahead of a scheduled event in the region.