Sergey Gorokhov, a boxer from Kaliningrad with a 16-11-2 record, knocked out local Turkish boxer Emirkhan Kalkan (7-0) in the second round in Trabzon, Turkey. After his victory celebration, a man in civilian clothes confronted Gorokhov in the ring and pushed him when Gorokhov approached. When Gorokhov's cornerman Ismail pushed back, a crowd stormed the ring and attacked Gorokhov and his team. Ismail and another cornerman were taken to the hospital after the assault. Following hospital treatment, the team immediately drove from Trabzon to Georgia, removing their Russian license plates for safety, and successfully reached Georgia.
A Russian boxer was attacked by a crowd inside the ring in Trabzon, Turkey, following his upset knockout victory over an undefeated local fighter on April 26, 2026.
Sergey Gorokhov, a professional boxer from Kaliningrad carrying a 16-11-2 record, stopped Emirkhan Kalkan in the second round. Kalkan had entered the bout undefeated at 7-0, making the finish a significant result for the visiting fighter.
The violence began almost immediately after Gorokhov's victory celebration. A man in civilian clothes entered the ring and pushed Gorokhov. When a cornerman named Ismail intervened and pushed back, the situation escalated rapidly. A crowd stormed the ring and launched a coordinated assault on Gorokhov and his team. Two cornermen, including Ismail, required hospital treatment following the attack.
Why it matters
- A visiting fighter and his team were physically assaulted inside the ring following a legitimate competitive result
- The severity of the attack sent two cornermen to hospital, raising serious questions about fighter and team safety at the event
- The circumstances of the team's departure — removing Russian license plates from their vehicle before driving from Trabzon to Georgia — underlines how dangerous they believed their situation to be
After receiving medical treatment, Gorokhov and his team did not wait. They removed their Russian license plates from their vehicle, apparently out of concern for their safety on the road, and drove directly from Trabzon to Georgia, successfully crossing the border.
