ST. PETERSBURG, March 25 (R-Sport) - A convicted killer whose case caused Russia's ethnic tensions to flare up has qualified for the final of a global martial arts competition in Moscow.
Mirzaev, a 2010 world champion in the martial art of sambo, was convicted of reckless manslaughter after 19-year-old student named Ivan Agafonov died from a single punch outside a Moscow night club in August 2011.
When Mirzaev, who hails from the largely Muslim region of Dagestan, was freed from jail on time served in November 2012, it sparked protests by ethnic Russian nationalist groups upset at what they saw at a lenient sentence.
Since his release, the 27-year-old has sought to rebuild his career in the ring, and on Tuesday he secured a place in the final of the 68-kilogram division at the World Sambo Super Cup in Moscow. He will face fellow Russian Vadim Shagin on Wednesday.
Mirzaev has also resumed his career in mixed martial arts, taking his career record to 6-0 with a unanimous win by decision against Erzhan Estanov in March last year.
The World Sambo Super Cup runs through Wednesday and features male and female fighters from 29 countries.
