MOSCOW, November 10 - RAPSI. The Moscow City Court validated the charges against mixed martial arts world champion Rasul Mirzayev who killed a young man during a fight, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI).

The law enforcement authorities said Mirzayev punched 19-year-old Ivan Agafonov on August 13 near a nightclub in downtown Moscow. Agafonov was taken to a hospital where he never regained consciousness. He died several days later.

Mirzayev was charged with intentionally inflicting grave physical harm resulting in death. He may face 15 years in prison. His defense demands that the punishment be mitigated to inflicting death through negligence, which is punishable by up to two years in prison.

"The court refused to satisfy the lawyer's appeal who requested to invalidate the investigator's resolution to attract Mirzayev as a witness," the court said.