A breezy, care-free ride through the mountains of Chechnya ended in a devastating crash that left one man dead, one badly injured, and a World Series of Fighting champion with a broken arm.
According to multiple reports, Akhmat MMA president Abuzayed Vismuradov and WSOF flyweight champion Magomed Bibulatov were injured after their three-wheel Harley Davidson crashed into the bike that toppled over in front of them. The aforementioned bike belonged to the former chief of the ‘Alpha’ special forces unit and current advisor to Ramzan Kadyrov, Yuri Torshin. He was found dead at the scene.
The incident, which occurred on September 11, 2016, took place within the Naursky district in the northwest portion of Chechnya. Eye witnesses confirmed that 13 bikers were present during the drive, though few details emerged describing the incident. According to the leader of the Chechen faction of the Night Wolves biker gang, Alvi Mutayev, Kadyrov’s adviser died as a direct result of falling off his bike during the crash. Mutayev, present during the drive, explained that Torshin was acting erratically and drove without any protective gear.
Gazeta.ru later reported that eyewitnesses saw Vismuradov’s three-wheel Harley drive over Torshin’s body after the former officer fell off his own motorcycle. Vismuradov seemingly had little time to steer his bike away from the accident that had occurred in front of him.
However, the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Chechnya removed any information available regarding the accident, though it remains available through google cache (h/t kavkaz-uzel.eu).
Torshin’s body was transported from Grozny to Moscow, where his funeral took place on Sep. 13. The former FSB commander is renowned for his efforts in freeing hostages during the 2004 terrorist attack on the school in Beslan, and helped eliminate terrorist leader Movsar Barayev, who orchestrated the Moscow theater hostage crisis. Following his retirement from law enforcement, Torshin became a special adviser to Kadyrov.
WSOF flyweight champ Magomed Bibulatov suffered several injuries, though the exact extent of the damage remains unclear. An Instagram statement from Kadyrov suggested that Bibulatov would return to training in a matter of days - a terrifying thought for someone who looks like this.
Even less information is available regarding Vismuradov, who is both the president of Akhmat Fight Club, as well as the head of Kadyrov’s personal security force. Known as ‘Patriot’ within the Chechen Republic, he is considered one of the most influential figures in Chechnya and the right hand man of Kadyrov and the ongoing agenda. The Night Wolves bike gang leader suggested that Vismuradov “broken his head” during the accident and was in no condition to be flown to Moscow for medical treatment.
Chechen law enforcement have begun a preliminary investigation to determine any wrongdoing or insidious behaviour that resulted in the death of Kadyrov’s adviser, and the serious condition of his right-hand man.
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