Bellator target Charged for Murder

[Cory]

Rasul Mirzaev's next fight will apparently take place in court rather than a Bellator cage.

Multiple Russian news outlets are reporting that Mirzaev (5-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC) was recently arrested in his native country and charged in the death of a 19-year-old student.

Mirzaev and Ivan Agafonov reportedly engaged in a verbal altercation outside of a Moscow night club before a single punch from the undefeated Russian prospect knocked the student down and eventually unconscious. He died from the blow four days later.

The entire incident was filmed on a nearby security camera.

NTV.ru reports that Russian authorities are investigating the incident as "intentional infliction of serious bodily injury that resulted in the death of the victim." If convicted of the crime, Mirzaev could face up to 15 years in prison.

The incident apparently began when Agafonov began talking to Mirzaev's girlfriend outside of the nightclub.

Mirzaev made his professional debut in 2009 and earned five-straight victories to open his career. This past May, Mirzaev earned a first-round submission over Roman Kishev on the preliminary card of United Glory's World Series Final event in Russia. Then in July, Mirzaev earned the most significant win of his career with a first-round TKO of Masanori Kanehara.

The Bellator fight would have marked Mirzaev's first fight outside of his native Russia.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported Mirzaev's Bellator signing earlier this week. However, MMAjunkie.com has since confirmed with sources close to the fighter that while a contract was offered, the paperwork has not yet been completed, and Mirzaev is not officially on the promotion's roster.

Bellator officials weren't immediately available for comment.


.......he'll have a gimmick if everything clears.