JULY 19 2021 (The Bulletin) — Murad Hanturayev, Uzbekistan’s most successful mixed martial arts (MAA) fighter and one of the best-known people in the country, died in a car crash aged 34. Known on the MMA circuit as the Asian Bear, Hanturayev had reportedly fought 12 times since he started his career in 2013, losing only twice. Reports said Hanturayev was driving his BMW X5 on a motorway outside Tashkent when he lost control and crashed.
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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 22 2021
— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021