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MMA fighter foils police to escape custody in Russia

An MMA fighter from Uzbekistan is on the run after escaping custody in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Bunyod Tukhtayev, 28, was detained by members of the Russian Center for Combatting Extremism last week on suspicion of trafficking in falsified migration documents and QR codes used to verify COVID-19 vaccine status. He also faces charges of violence towards an official after resisting his initial arrest.

Footage showed Tukhtayev resisting arrest by grappling with two officers on the street. He was eventually overpowered and was taken into custody. The next day, however, the MMA fighter staged a more effective escape when he asked to go to the bathroom and then staged his escape when he returned to the preliminary detention room.