Amar Suloev

Amar Suloev (January 7, 1976 – June 27, 2016) was an Armenian mixed martial artist. Following his mixed martial arts career, Suloev allegedly became involved in the world of organized crime and was arrested and accused of being a contract killer. He died of stomach cancer in June 2016. During his career, he fought for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, Cage Rage, and M-1 Global.

Suloev made the first recorded use of the submission hold that became known as the Suloev Stretch in a 2002 victory over Paul Cahoon. It has also been used by grappler Josh Cisneros.

Background Suloev was born into a Kurdish Yazidi family in Tashir, Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (now Armenia).

Mixed martial arts career A former kickboxer and Greco-Roman wrestler, Suloev was recruited by the Russian team Red Devil Sport Club and made his debut in national promotion M-1 Global in 1999, losing to Andrei Semenov by armbar. Suloev later avenged his defeat by choking out Semenov in Brazil for World Vale Tudo Championship, winning the WVC 11 Middleweight Tournament in the process.

Ultimate Fighting Championship At UFC 35, Suloev came to fight in the premier MMA organization of the United States where he faced top light heavyweight Chuck Liddell. The fight went to decision, where Liddell was awarded the win on points. The fight was intense and Suloev demonstrated his level of skill with kickboxing as he avoided the trademark power shots of the feared American fighter. Despite the loss, Amar was one of only seven fighters to take Liddell to decision. The UFC invited him back at UFC 37 to fight Phil Baroni, where a controversial knee by Suloev was landed while Baroni was on his knees getting up, shortly after the referee stood them up, Baroni landed a flurry of punches which stopped Suloev. after the first three murders, but according to prosecutors was involved in the fourth, and an attempted murder that took place at the same time.

The first two murder victims were Vitaly Sadovnichy, the director of a sanatorium resort in the city of Anapa, and his wife, Olga Ivankina. According to the indictment, both were killed at a meeting with Zirinov on 24 March 2002 by two of his associates.

Businessman Salman Nabiyev was shot twice in the back in the courtyard of his home off Karl Marx Street in Novorossiysk on 17 December 2004. Nabiyev was reported to have been involved in a commercial dispute with a "dangerous" family unrelated to Zirinov or the other accused men. Subsequent testimony from Suloev's wife indicated that the arresting FSB officers stole, used, and damaged Suloev's Audi A6 sports car and an expensive watch, before returning both items five months later, while almost 130,000 rubles was withdrawn from his bank account and vanished without trace. The criticisms included reference to evidence of torture against "a number" Nesterenko's testimony before the court was reportedly vague and insubstantial, and Nesterenko himself had previously been the subject of extortion allegations.

There were reportedly problems with the state's case against Suloev. One killer testified that Suloev had been the get away driver for the Nesterenko hit. But Suloev did not match eyewitness descriptions of the driver. Furthermore, his neighbor testified to meeting him on the morning of the attempt at his house at 9:05 am. The attempt occurred at about 9am hundreds of kilometers away.

At the time of Suloev's death, his trial had been suspended and he had been released on bail following his stage four stomach cancer diagnosis.

Championships and accomplishments M-1 Global 2000 M-1 MFC World Championship Tournament Winner 2 Hot 2 Handle World Vale Tudo Championship WVC 11 Middleweight Tournament Winner

Mixed martial arts record Win

Jacek Buczko TKO (kick and punches) M-1 Challenge 2: Russia

St. Petersburg, Russia Loss

Chael Sonnen TKO (punches) BodogFIGHT: Alvarez vs. Lee

Trenton, New Jersey, United States Win

Andy Foster KO (punches) BodogFIGHT: Clash of the Nations

St. Petersburg, Russia Win

Hun Kim TKO (punches) M-1 MFC: Russia vs. Korea

St. Petersburg, Russia Loss

Denis Kang Submission (one-arm strangle) PRIDE Bushido 12

Nagoya, Japan Win

Murilo Bustamante Decision (unanimous) PRIDE Bushido 11

Saitama, Japan Win

James Nicholl TKO (doctor stoppage) Cage Rage 16

London, United Kingdom Win

Damien Riccio KO (knee) M-1 MFC: Russia vs. France

St. Petersburg, Russia Loss

Paulo Filho Submission (armbar) PRIDE: Bushido 6

Yokohama, Japan Win

Dean Lister Decision (split) PRIDE Bushido 4

Nagoya, Japan Win

Din Thomas TKO (punches and soccer kicks) Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003

Kobe, Japan Win

Yushin Okami TKO (punches) M-1 MFC: Russia vs. the World 6

St. Petersburg, Russia Win

Julian Gonzales Submission (rear-naked choke) M-1 MFC: Russia vs. the World 4

St. Petersburg, Russia Win

Paul Cahoon Submission (Suloev stretch)

Rotterdam, Netherlands Loss

Phil Baroni TKO (punches) UFC 37

Bossier City, Louisiana, United States Loss

Chuck Liddell Decision (unanimous) UFC 35

Uncasville, Connecticut, United States Win

Moise Rimbon TKO (punches)

Rotterdam, Netherlands Win

Paul Cahoon Decision (2–0 points)

Rotterdam, Netherlands Win

Patrick de Witte Submission (armbar)

Rotterdam, Netherlands Win

Pedro Otavio KO (punches) M-1 MFC: Russia vs. the World 1

St. Petersburg, Russia Win

Valentin Siouljine TKO (injury) Pancration Cup of Russia 1

St. Petersburg, Russia Win

Alexander Mayorov TKO (strikes) PCR: Pancration Cup of Russia 1

St. Petersburg, Russia Win

Vagam Bodjukyan Submission (choke) M-1 MFC: World Championship 2000

St. Petersburg, Russia Won M-1 MFC World Championship Tournament. Win

Rick Rootlieb Submission (choke) M-1 MFC: World Championship 2000

St. Petersburg, Russia M-1 MFC World Championship Tournament Semifinals. Win

Andrei Semenov Submission (rear-naked choke) World Vale Tudo Championship 11

Recife, Brazil Won WVC 11 Middleweight Tournament. Win

Alberto Prima Submission (kicks) World Vale Tudo Championship 11

Recife, Brazil WVC 11 Middleweight Tournament Semifinals. Win

Luis Alberto KO (kick) WVC 11: World Vale Tudo Championship 11

Recife, Brazil WVC 11 Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinals. Win

Erik Oganov Submission (armbar) Pankration World Championship 2000 Day 1

Moscow, Russia Loss

Darrel Gholar Decision PCNC: Pancration Cup of North Caucasus

St. Petersburg, Russia Win

Sergei Yankovski Decision PCNC: Pancration Cup of North Caucasus

Rostov, Russia Loss

Andrei Semenov Submission (armbar) M-1 MFC: World Championship 1999

St. Petersburg, Russia 1999 M-1 MFC Middleweight Tournament Semifinals.