A Tajik MMA fighter has died in Tajikistan

On the night of January 11, 2026, 15-year-old Tajik MMA fighter Muhammadali Sa’dulloev was killed in Kulyab.

The first to report the tragedy was blogger Sirojov Shahrom, residing in the USA, known online as “Shahromak America.” The blogger, citing the athlete’s relatives, stated that the incident occurred during a conflict between young people in one of the computer gaming centers. According to him, Muhammadali sustained a severe stab wound and died on the spot.

In one of his videos, Sirojov Shahrom claimed that the tragedy took place in the city of Dushanbe. However, he later clarified in his video that the tragedy occurred not in Dushanbe, but in Kulyab.

Later, information about the death of Muhammadali Sa’dulloev as a result of a stab wound was confirmed by the Federation of Mixed Martial Arts of Tajikistan. The Federation did not disclose where exactly the conflict occurred. According to them, the fighter’s body has been sent to Kulyab.

A video recording from surveillance cameras at one of the computer gaming centers has circulated on social media. The footage shows about nine teenagers engaging in a mass brawl. The scuffle lasts several seconds, during which one of the teenagers falls to the ground. Official authorities have not yet commented on the authenticity of the video, and it is unclear whether this video is related to the death of Muhammadali Sa’dulloev.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs for the city of Kulyab informed the Asia-Plus agency that no such incident has been registered in the city.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Khatlon region stated that they would comment on the incident later.

Phone calls from journalists to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Dushanbe and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan went unanswered.

For this reason, it is still unknown where exactly the conflict occurred.

Muhammadali Sa’dulloev is a three-time champion of Tajikistan and a world champion in mixed martial arts. In 2025, the athlete had 8 victories and no defeats.

In 2024, Sa’dulloev won the youth world championship in MMA in Abu Dhabi (UAE).

Mass brawls and stabbings among teenagers and youth, including school students, have repeatedly become a subject of public discussion. Authorities and media have reported multiple instances of mass fights among students of educational institutions, many of which ended tragically.