The head coach of the Gorets (Highlander) martial arts club in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Daghestan has been shot dead.



The Daghestan branch of the federal Investigative Committee said on July 9 that Musail Alaudinov's body was found with multiple gunshot wounds late on July 8 in his car on the Makhachkala-Kaspiisk highway.



His rifle and a Kalashnikov were found at the scene.



Alaudinov was a two-time winner of the World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts.



The club Alaudinov ran is Russia's leading center for training fighters in mixed martial arts.



Investigative Committee officials said Alaudinov was a close associate of former Makhachkala Mayor Said Amirov, who was arrested recently for allegedly ordering a murder.



Daghestan, along with other republics in Russia's North Caucasus, continues to experience violence linked to Islamic extremists and organized criminal groups.



Based on reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS