Buvaissar Saitiev, a three-time Olympic champion and rival of Alexander Leipold, has died prematurely under mysterious circumstances.
The international wrestling community mourns the loss of Russian freestyle wrestling icon Buvaissar Saitiev.
The three-time Olympic welterweight champion (1996, 2004 and 2008), who went into politics after his career, died on Sunday at the age of 49, according to media reports. The circumstances of the death of the multiple world and European champion from the Caucasus are mysterious.
Death after falling out of window
According to Russian media reports, Saitijew was found injured in Moscow after falling out of a window and later died – which, in view of the political situation in the authoritarian country and similar mysterious deaths as a result of falling out of windows, quickly sparked speculation.
Mahmud Magomedov, head of the Dagestani Wrestling Federation, told the TASS news agency that Saitiyev had suffered a cardiac arrest: “He took medication that caused complications.” Saitiyev had lung problems.
In a Telegram post, the Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov also stated that Saitiyev had health problems – he spoke of heart problems for which Saitiyev had been treated in Moscow. Kadyrov declared three days of mourning in the republic he rules for Saitiyev, who was of Chechen origin.
After his active career, Saitijew had been politically active as a member of the State Duma of his native Dagestan for five years from 2016. Since 2015, the father of three sons and a daughter had led the Chechen Wrestling Federation until his death.
Saitijew was a rival of Alexander Leipold
Saitijew was a long-standing rival of top German wrestler Alexander Leipold from the mid-1990s. The man from the Caucasus with Chechen roots also won his first titles on the international stage against the man from Lower Franconia in the final fights of World and European Championships.
Saitijew’s death shocked the entire martial arts community, with UFC icon Khabib Nurmagomedov among those to express their condolences: “You inspired millions of children around the world, we will miss you,” wrote the former Conor McGregor rival on Instagram.
