A mass brawl broke out at a wrestling tournament in Grozny.

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Chechen wrestler Turpal Alkhoyev lost to David Vaniev from North Ossetia. A conflict ensued between the two, which was joined by spectators. Chechen Sports Minister Akhmat Kadyrov stated that it was simply a minor incident that was blown out of proportion by the media.

A mass brawl broke out in Grozny during the North Caucasus Federal District Freestyle Wrestling Championship.

The incident occurred on January 11 after a fight between David Vaniev from North Ossetia and Turpal Alkhoyev from Chechnya. Vaniev won the fight, which upset Alkhoev, who kicked his opponent several times. A scuffle then ensued. Vaniev suggested that Alkhoev continue the fight outside the ring, but Alkhoev refused and attacked his opponent. Spectators then rushed onto the mats. Some tried to separate the two, while others actually began fighting. The conflict, however, was quickly stopped, according to Sport-Express. The tournament, which featured 300 athletes from seven regions of the North Caucasus Federal District, was suspended. According to Mikhail Mamiashvili, President of the Russian Wrestling Federation, sanctions against those involved in the brawl are being considered. He added that "the incident will not go unnoticed."

Mamiashvili also criticized the referees for failing to stop the brawl, calling the Chechen wrestler's actions a "provocation."

Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya and Minister of Physical Culture and Sport Akhmat Kadyrov believes the scale of the conflict was exaggerated. He called it "a minor incident between two athletes due to the unsportsmanlike behavior of one of them."

"Any incident that occurs in the Chechen Republic or involves our athletes receives public attention, which can lead to it being blown out of proportion in the media. That's what happened with this incident," the minister asserted. He stated that a preventative conversation had been held with the instigator and that the incident should not be "interethnic in nature" or portrayed as a mass brawl.

Previously, "Caucasian Knot" reported that in September 2023, a mass brawl broke out at the Riviera shopping center in Moscow after one of the attendees declared himself a "hater" of Chechen MMA fighter Shovkhal Churchaev. The athlete then got into an altercation with him and then attacked him. The brawl then escalated. Churchaev was scheduled to fight Artem Rofal, a fighter from the Omsk region. But after a massive brawl, the fight was canceled.