MMA Hitman: The former UFC fighter who became a dangerous contract killer

On a frosty Christmas Day in the small town of Rostov, Russia, a little-publicized hearing took place in a North Caucasian District Military Court. Sergei Zirinov, a Krasnodar parliamentarian and member of the Legislative Assembly, was on trial for the attempted murder of the deputy leader of the Anapa City Cossack Society, Nikolai Nesterenko. Zirinov was joined by five other defendants, each charged with either murder and attempted murder in aggravated circumstances, banditry and illicit arms trafficking, depending on the role they played. One of those defendants was 40-year-old Amar Suloev, a former UFC and Pride FC fighter.

It was a stunning revelation: Suloev, the Armenian-Russian with Yazidi origins dating back to Mesopotamia – the man who had faced Chuck Liddell at UFC 35 – was an alleged contract killer.

Amar competed professionally in mixed martial arts between 1999-2008. He began under the M-1 Global banner, where he lost by submission to Andrei Semenov, However, he then took part in a 11th edition of the World Vale Tudo Championship — a bare-knuckle tournament – and eventually won all three fights in a single night. His gutsy performance was featured in one of the first MMA documentaries ‘Rites of Passage.’

From there, Suloev compiled an eight-fight win streak that earned him an opportunity to fight in the UFC. His first opponent was none other than the ‘Iceman’ Chuck Liddell. Amar survived the dangerous striker’s onslaught and lasted long enough to lose a unanimous decision to the soon-to-be champion. He was given another opportunity in the UFC against Phil Baroni, who knocked the Armenian out within the first three minutes of the fight to put an abrupt end to his UFC tenure.

Suloev continued to fight for another seven years following his UFC exit. While training at Fedor’s future gym, Red Devil Fight Club in Stary Oskol – now know as Alexander Nevsky …

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