“Thanks to the Kazakh guys“: world champion from the USA got into a brawl

Kazakhstan's sole representative at the ADCC World Championship was competing against American Dorian Olivarez. During the match, the opponents exchanged several illegal moves, which prompted an official review.

"I was wrestling a top champion, a young American and the number one seed. Emotions ran high during the match; plus, he was wrestling a bit dirty and kept trying to cover my mouth. To be honest, I bit him a little at that moment—not hard, but it happened after his pokes. When I was down, he also hit me," Bekzat told our correspondent when describing the situation.

As it turned out, the story didn't end there—it was decided that the Kazakhstani and the American would hold a rematch.

"Then we got up, and I headbutted him back—I wanted to retaliate. We were separated, and he was disqualified. He left, but they brought him back, and we wrestled again. This time he was better than me and won," the Kazakhstani athlete admitted.

Although the wrestlers managed to settle their scores on the mats, the American's team, according to Bekzat, did not let matters rest.

"When he beat me, his father, who was acting as a cornerman, flipped me off and started cursing. That’s when my older brothers and my team responded aggressively, and the brawl started," the wrestler explained.

Video of the incident quickly went viral on social media, garnering hundreds of thousands of views. Part of the reason for the buzz was that veteran fighter and grappling star Gordon Ryan, a five-time world champion, was caught in the middle of the melee.

"Gordon Ryan was cornering another fight and jumped in himself. That's how the situation ended up like that," Bekzat said.

"Thanks to the Kazakh guys": World champion comments on the fight

Gordon Ryan himself also spoke out about the incident. According to him, he sensed during the Kapashov-Olivarez match that things would end in a fight.

"I stepped in, hit the first guy, and as soon as one of them saw me, several started screaming: 'Gordon, Gordon, Gordon!' They all turned to me because they realized I was there. They immediately rushed me, two grabbed my legs and pushed me, so I just fell. Then five or six started hitting me in the head. Several guys were kicking me, several were punching me, but I still managed to get up to my knees.

Even with four to six people on top of me... I still got up and started going for a single-leg takedown. Then the fight was broken up. I stood up and thought: 'Cool, the fight's over. Everything's fine.' So I just ran back, sat down, and continued coaching. So, thanks to the Kazakh guys for the fight. It was fun. And always remember that I am the best fighter of the night, every night," Gordon posted on social media.

Furthermore, he emphasized that if any of the Kazakhstanis want to face him one-on-one, he is ready to do so.

How the league responded to the brawl involving the US world champion and the Kazakhstani athlete

According to Kapashov, after the scuffle ended, the representatives of the US and Kazakhstan went their separate ways and did not see each other again. The league issued punishments to both sides involved in the incident.

"They gave both sides a one-year suspension. That’s it—no other sanctions, nothing else," the wrestler noted.

World Championship scandal involving Kazakhstani athlete: Federation reaction

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports clarified in response to our inquiry that the development of grappling is handled by the "Grappling Association". We reached out to the organization for comment.

It turned out that the ADCC tournament does not fall under their jurisdiction.

"The Association has no organizational, administrative, or any other connection to the ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) and is not its structural subdivision, official representative, or the organizer of competitions held under the ADCC auspices. Tournaments held under the ADCC umbrella are not included in the official sporting calendar of the 'Grappling Association of the Republic of Kazakhstan' ALE," the organization clarified.

The Association did not undertake the preparation, formation, or official deployment of a national team of the Republic of Kazakhstan to participate in the ADCC 2024 tournament in Krakow.
The athletes who participated in the specified tournament were not dispatched by the Association as members of the national team of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and their participation did not take place within the framework of official events organized or conducted by the Association.

"In light of the above, the 'Grappling Association of the Republic of Kazakhstan' ALE bears no organizational responsibility for the conduct of the aforementioned tournament, nor for the actions of participants, team representatives, coaches, or other persons present at the event, as these individuals were not attending the tournament as part of an official delegation on behalf of the Association," the organization stated.

The athlete confirmed this. According to him, grappling is more of a commercial endeavor, and no one receives state sponsorship for it.

"The older brothers from the gym help out, but when I officially won a spot at the World Championships, they paid for the flights and accommodation. We did arrive a bit early, though, and that was at our own expense," the athlete said.

It should be noted that, according to Bekzat, the ADCC World Championship is held every two years and is considered a kind of Olympics for those involved in grappling. This year, Kapashov was the sole representative of Kazakhstan at the tournament.