Ali Serik. Photo courtesy of t.me/Zanamiviehali
Muay Thai World Champion Ali Serik was killed on the evening of December 23 in the Nauryzbay district of Almaty, reports sports24.kz. Police have already apprehended the suspect, who is reported to be an acquaintance of the athlete.
“An investigation into the murder of the 20-year-old man has been launched by the Nauryzbay district police department. The suspect was apprehended 'on the hot trail' and placed in temporary detention. Preliminary reports indicate that a quarrel between the two acquaintances led to one of them using a knife. The weapon has been seized,” stated the Almaty police department, according to Kursiv.
The Kazakhstan Muay Thai Federation has expressed condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased athlete.
Ali Serik was a professional fighter, competing in the renowned ONE Championship organization. He represented the Titan Fight Club in Almaty. In 2022, Serik became the youngest adult (Class A) Muay Thai World Champion in Malaysia.
This tragedy recalls a similar incident six years ago in Almaty. In July 2018, 25-year-old figure skater Denis Ten was fatally stabbed by criminals attempting to steal mirrors from his car. The loss of blood led to his death, and the crime sparked widespread outrage in Kazakhstan, along with criticism of the police and calls for the resignation of the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The attackers, Arman Kudaybergenov and Nuraly Kiyasov, were quickly apprehended. In early 2019, they were sentenced to 18 years in a maximum-security prison, while another accomplice, Janar Tolybaeva, received a four-year sentence for failing to report the crime (her sentence was later reduced, and she has since been released). In July of this year, it was reported that the sentences for the murderers had been softened. They were transferred to a medium-security facility, and their time spent in pretrial detention was credited toward their sentence.
