Mourad Aliev‘s victory stands, and he remains the WBC Silver heavyweight champion. However, the French heavyweight will most likely skip the celebrations. Given the dramatic events that unfolded at his most recent event, Aliev would rather be pleased that he returned safely.
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“Boxer got jumped by Turkish fans after taunting their hometown fighter last night 😳,” read the post from Happy Punch.
The comment stems from the fight that unfolded in Istanbul, Turkey, three days ago. Aliev was scheduled to face unbeaten Turkish fighter Umut Camkiran at the Uelker Spor Arena. The French fighter won the 12-round fight by unanimous decision.
But thereafter, events took an unexpected turn.
Footage shared by Happy Punch and other outlets reveals things went south after the final bell.
Standing near the ropes, Aliev appeared to gesture toward his groin area. However, his opponent and the crowd reportedly viewed the move as being disrespectful. Taking a strong exception, Camkiran confronted Aliev. But just when the two fighters faced off, an individual threw what appeared to be a bottle at Aliev. Footage shows chairs being thrown as a melee erupted inside the ring.
The situation soon escalated to a full-blown brawl. Subsequent clips show security escorting Aliev out of the venue.
Reports suggest Aliev later offered a clarification, saying his gesture was meant to protest illegal low blows and punches to the back of the head he claimed to have received during the fight.
The incident attracted widespread scrutiny.
“First, I want to make one thing clear: Mourad Aliev deserved his victory,” promoter Ahmet Oner reportedly stated. “However, his gesture toward the audience after the fight was unnecessary and provocative. It should not have happened.”
Maurio Sulaiman, the president of the World Bopxing Council (WBC), released a separate statement.
“The WBC rejects the barbaric violence from fans who attacked (a) visiting boxer in Turkey,” it read. “It was a fantastic promotion ruined by wild hooligans who must be investigated and punished to the full extent of the law.”
Beyond the drama that unfolded on November 7, records reveal Aliev has previously been at the center of a huge controversy.
When the ring became a battleground
At the Tokyo Olympics, Aliev faced disqualification for headbutting British fighter Frazer Clarke. Unhappy, the Moscow-born heavyweight staged a ring sit-in, saying the decision was unjustified.
Later the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reportedly rejected Aliev’s appeal to overturn his disqualification but acknowledged that match referee Andy Mustacchio might have made an error.
Aliev may not be the only boxer whose in-ring behavior drew the crowd’s ire.
The example that closely mirrors the one in Istanbul took place in thirty years ago. On July 11, 1996, Riddick Bowe faced Polish heavyweight Andrew Golota. As the fight progressed, Golota struck Bowe with a low blow, resulting in the referee warning him. After repeated instances, Golota was disqualified in the 7th round.
The move triggered an all-out brawl as Bowe’s team members rushed inside the ring. Golota was reportedly struck with objects while a massive riot spilled inside the historic venue.
Looking beyond the past, it remains unconfirmed whether Aliev suffered any injury during the brawl. If he did, how badly was he injured? Reports, meanwhile, indicate the WBC could initiate an investigation into the incident.