Usman Nurmagomedov and an acquaintance have been taken into custody in Moscow, after a car the Bellator lightweight was in allegedly struck a police officer.
The incident took place Thursday. Tass.ru was first to report the news, citing an unnamed source who stated that “Usman Nurmagomedov and Kamal Idrisov were detained upon flight arrival from Kaspiysk and they are suspected of ramming a police officer with their car at Kaspiysk Airport.”
Kaspiysk, on the Caspian sea, is part of Nurmagomedov’s native Dagestan.
Per the Tass report, The Press Office of the Central District of the Transportation Department of the Russian Interior Ministry confirmed that two individuals had been taken into custody at the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow upon arrival there.
“They are suspected of running over a policeman with a car at the checkpoint of Kaspiysk Airport,” the press office confirmed.
The incident took place when officers at a security checkpoint near Kaspiysk Airport instructed a car with tinted windows and no license plates to stop. Instead, it barrelled through a security barrier, running over a police officer in the process.
A criminal case has been opened; the status of the injured officer is unknown. It’s unclear whether Nurmagomedov himself, or Idrisov, was in control of the vehicle during the incident.
Usman Nurmagomedov (14-0), a cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, is the #3-ranked lightweight in Bellator MMA’s official rankings. He last competed at Bellator 269 in Moscow on October 23, defeating Patrik Pietila via submission.
Having previously competed for Fight Nights Global and UAE Warriors, Nurmagomedov has won all three of his fights under the Bellator banner to date.
Promotion officials told Cageside Press on Friday that “The promotion has been made aware of the situation involving Usman Nurmagomedov and is in the process of gathering information and have no further comment at this time.”
Bellator MMA returns to action this evening, with Bellator 271 taking place in Hollywood, Florida.
