Medet Zheenaliev has tragically passed away at the age of 30, after rescuing four teenage girls from drowning in Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan.
According to reports, Zheenaliev was spending time with friends at the lake when he noticed one of the girls struggling in a strong current.
Acting quickly, he and a friend entered the water and were able to help all four girls safely return to shore.
However, Zheenaliev did not make it back.
He went under the surface during the rescue and failed to resurface. Divers later recovered his body from the lake the following day.
Authorities have classified the incident as a drowning during a rescue mission.
Zheenaliev competed professionally in MMA between 2017 and 2019, finishing his career with a 2-2 record.
He began his run with a first-round armbar victory over Vladimir Kravchuk, followed by another first-round finish via knockout against Shamil Temirkhanov.
He later suffered a submission loss to Akhmadkhan Bokov and, after a lengthy layoff, returned for his final bout in August 2019, where he lost via doctor’s stoppage after the first round.
Zheenaliev had been scheduled for a fifth fight in September 2019 against Samray Shaykhamodov, though the bout was ultimately canceled.
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