Usman Nurmagomedov has been sentenced to prison after his shocking brawl with Merab Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi.According to the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department and United Arab Emirates-based newspaper The National, PFL lightweight champion Nurmagomedov received a six-month sentence alongside five teammates on Friday.Nurmagomedov is widely viewed as one of the best MMA fighters in the world and has been rumoured to join the UFC this yearPFLOn Wednesday, Nurmagomedov, the cousin of MMA icon and former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, attacked UFC bantamweight star Merab Dvalishvili in a Yas Island hotel.The Russian approached Dvalishvili from behind before slapping him and subsequently inciting a shocking brawl.Dvalishvili was forced to fend for himself alongside friend Saba Lazishvili, taking on a full group of Team Nurmagomedov.The MMA stars were present in Abu Dhabi ahead of a Real American Freestyle (RAF) event this weekend, and police confirmed on Thursday that 10 arrests were made following the incident.View Tweet: https://t.co/ytwAuVlVD3Incredibly, Dvalishvili will still compete at RAF Abu Dhabi this weekend, per the promotion.Organisers have also confirmed that Lazishvili is replacing Nurmagomedov’s older brother, Umar, who lost to Dvalishvili in a UFC bantamweight title fight last year, on the card.Nurmagomedov was seemingly provoked into attacking Dvalishvili after the Georgian got into a tussle with his teammate at an RAF event in July.What has Nurmagomedov been sentenced for?Nurmagomedov and five of his teammates have received a Dh300,000 fine (£61,000) on top of their six months in prison.They have been ordered to be deported after serving their sentences “for disturbing public security, causing panic and endangering lives,” the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department said in a statement.Two people who filmed the incident have also received the same fine and sentence “for violating privacy by using information technology to film and publish footage of the brawl.”Dvalishvili, meanwhile, has been released alongside Lazishvili.View Tweet: https://t.co/FJ4ImGzdgzDvalishvili is a former UFC bantamweight champion and also recognised as one of the sport’s biggest starsGettyHe defeated Nurmagomedov’s brother Umar in a championship fight at UFC 311 in January 2025GettyHowever, the former bantamweight champion, who settled an intense rivalry with Petr Yan at UFC 333 last month, and his friend were both fined Dh50,000 (£10,300).Dvalishvili released per RAF statement“I’m pleased to share that Merab Dvalishvili is back with us in Abu Dhabi,” RAF CEO Chad Bronstein said in a statement.“We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the relevant authorities in Abu Dhabi for their professionalism and support.“We remain focused on moving forward and are pleased to have Merab back with us.”Famed MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz, who looks after Nurmagomedov, issued an apology ‘to the whole city of Abu Dhabi’ this week.“On behalf of myself and my team, I want to apologise to the whole city of Abu Dhabi about what occurred the other day,” he told MMA Junkie.“What happened was something unacceptable. And this is something that should never happen again. I think both parties were wrong, and I think two wrongs don’t make it right…Undefeated Russian lightweight Nurmagomedov has been mentored by Khabib throughout his entire MMA journeyGetty“I understand a lot of these athletes; they’re emotional, but it’s no excuse. I don’t think Merab and Usman have beef… it was something with his brother, and he tried to defend his brother.“There’s no excuse. But also we have to defend our family. And I think this is where the mistake happened, and I think this can be handled differently.“Of course, this is going to affect everybody. Affect Khabib, affect everybody… But I’m not worried about his fighting career right now. I’m worried about his well-being, how he’s going to recover from this.“Everybody who’s making videos from Georgia or from Dagestan, this has to stop… Let’s unite everyone and just make peace.”Jake Paul and the UFCLast time out, Nurmagomedov defended his lightweight title at PFL New York by knocking out Archie Colgan.Nurmagomedov is currently a free agent and his future in MMA is now in more doubt than ever beforeGettyThe 28-year-old, 22-0 in his MMA career, is now a free agent.Jake Paul was present at Nurmagomedov’s last fight ahead of his Most Valuable Promotion’s (MVP) merger with the PFL in January.Paul would’ve doubtless wanted to keep Nurmagomedov on the roster, but the latter revealed in August he had turned down a $2million offer to renew his contract.PFL had a 90-day exclusive negotiation window to agree terms with the Russian superstar, but that is said to have run out.The UFC was reportedly interested in signing Nurmagomedov, who has been spotted at various promotional events this year.“He [Nurmagomedov] is still under contract,” UFC CEO Dana White said at UFC 334‘s press conference on Thursday when asked about signing Nurmagomedov.“We’re not talking to him right now anyway.”White added: “What a bunch of f***ing idiots.“It’s absolutely ridiculous and stupid, and they’re all in jail. That [Abu Dhabi] is not a place to go and f*** around.”UFC ScheduleThere are still several blockbuster shows and exciting contests for fight fans to look forward to in 2026, and you can find the full list of all confirmed events and official bouts as part of talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.The UFC, on average, puts on 13 to 14 premium events in a calendar year, with up to 30 smaller ‘Fight Night’ cards allowing prospects and less experienced fighters to showcase their talents.On January 1, 2026, Dana White’s promotion signed a seven-year broadcast deal with CBS and Paramount+ for exclusive rights in the US, meaning the UFC has put on shows like never before this year.With the historic first event in the new Paramount era, UFC 324, delivering huge success, and a one-of-a-kind fight card at the White House in June opening up the UFC to a new audience, the promotion remains a premium global sports brand, and fans are eager to keep track of results and upcoming fights.