Rashid Magomedov thought he was about to spend another hot summer day in his scenic hometown of Makhachkala, Dagestan. There to visit an old friend and take a stroll down the October Revolution canal, the UFC fighter noticed something that sent a chill up his spine.

A figure was struggling in the water.

At a closer look, it became startlingly clear that the figure was struggling to save a drowning boy. Rashid and his friend wasted little time as they sprinted towards the water, dived in, and swam towards the child. They were slowed down by the algae and slime at the bottom of the canal, but eventually found their way to the unconscious six-year-old.

"He had swallowed much water and became very heavy, so I alone could not even get him," Magomedov told Cageside.ru. "I had to have the help of my friend and the first guy who was there to raise him out of the water and back to the shore."

Though their rescue attempt was a success, Magomedov instantly realized that the boy was deathly still and blue in the face.

"We immediately started to resuscitate him -- the three of us. I did CPR, and somewhere in a moment he sighed and spat water."

With each deep breath the child took, Rashid's own body filled with warmth.

"Thank God that everything turned out well. We, quite frankly, were not even sure if we were doing everything right, but in the end he survived. It turned out that the boy is 6 years old.

Rashid had no intention of sharing his eventful afternoon with the press. However, his exploits had attracted a large audience by the canal and it eventually spread throughout social media. All he wanted to do was visit the boy and make sure he recovered smoothly.

"He was taken to the hospital and, as far as I know, he is now recovered. I am planning a few days ago to look into it, because of all of this turmoil did not even remember what he looked like and did not know his name.

"I do not believe that I am some kind of a hero, I'm just well done as any other normal person."