UFC fighter Khusein Askhabov arrested for kidnap, torture and extortion
UFC fighter Khusein Askhabov (23-1) and his brother Khasan Askhabov, also a professional mixed martial artist, have been arrested for kidnap, torture and extortion, according to local media in Phuket, Thailand.
According to the report from Phuket News, the brothers have been arrested in connection with three Kazakh nationals after forcing their way into an Italian man’s villa at a resort in Cherng Talay.
The group then allegedly bound and gagged the man while beating him for information in an hours-long ordeal. The attackers subsequently fled the country.
Investigations have not yet revealed what role the Askhabov brothers played in the attack, but the Phuket News notes that “the Italian man said he had first met the Askhabov brothers at a beach cafe in Cherng Talay about a year ago. They had become acquaintances over the past year.”
Items taken in the robbery include:
One Rolex ‘Daytona’ watch valued at about 2,476,500 baht ($68,000 USD)
One Patek Philippe ‘Nautilus’ watche valued at about 3.8mn baht ($107,000 USD)
One Graff watch valued at about 1.6mn baht ($45,000 USD)
One Macbook, a new iPhone 13 and a new iPhone 14, and a pair of sunglasses
The brothers were arrested on September 5.
Khusein Askhabov is currently booked to face Daniel Pineda at UFC Fight Night 229 in Las Vegas on October 7th. It remains to be seen whether that bout will go ahead as scheduled. Khasan Askhabov has not yet signed with a major MMA promotion.
