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A former mixed martial artist has reportedly died after playing hero, saving four girls from a strong current.
Medet Zheenaliev, 30, saw four girls swimming in Lake Issyk-Kul in her home country of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, and one of them was reportedly swept away by the current.
Zheenaliev and a friend jumped into the water to save the girls, but the fighter never surfaced again, according to The Sun.
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The Octagon cage is seen during the UFC Fight Night event at Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on March 30, 2024. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Divers found his body the next day.
FATHER DIES TRYING TO SAVE HIS 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AFTER A GIANT WAVE DRAWS HER INTO THE SEA ON CALIFORNIA BEACH
The lake is the ninth deepest in the world, reaching a depth of 2,192 feet.
Zheenaliev had four professional fights, dividing them into two wins and two losses. His debut was a victory over Vladimir Kravchuk on September 23, 2017, at the Fightpro Belt Battle in Moscow. Zheenaliev earned the victory with an armbar submission 2:08 into the fight.
A general view of the Octagon during UFC 242 at The Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on September 7, 2019. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC)
At the Battle of the Volga 3, six months later, he defeated Shamil Temirkhanov by first-round knockout.
He did not have the same success in his last two fights, landing a second-round rear-naked choke against Akhmadkhan Bokov at Road to M-1 on April 7, 2018.
A general view of the UFC Octagon inside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, ahead of the UFC 328 event on May 9, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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He then took a hiatus of almost 17 months and fought Makkasharip Zaynukov at GFC 16, but doctors stopped the fight after the first round and gave Zaynukov the victory.
