Two MMA fighters saved a police officer’s life during shooting in Vienna

The world is mourning the death of at least four people killed during a terrorist attack in Vienna, Austria on November 2.

The number of casualties of this attack could have been higher, though, if it wasn’t for Mikail Özen and Recep Tayyip Gültekin, two Turkish-born, Vienna-based mixed martial arts fighters who risked their lives to rescue a police officer in need.

According to multiple European outlets, the two Austrian-Turks were in Vienna’s city center when the attacks began. They started to follow the sound of the gunshots and saw a man shooting at civilians.

First, they reportedly rescued an injured elderly woman.

“After I carried the woman to a nearby restaurant, the terrorist pointed his gun at me,” Gultekin said to TRT World. “A pellet from this gun hit the back of my right leg. However, it did not cause any major injury.”

After their first rescue, they headed to the nearest police station. On their way, they helped another woman who was in shock and aided a wounded police officer.

“Other police officers were looking at [the wounded officer], they did nothing while I shouted at them for help,” Gultekin continued. “I told Mikail we will do this. We reached the police. We carried the police to the ambulance me, by holding his back, and my friend by his feet.”

The medical team offered to bring the hurt fighter to the hospital, but he refused since, according to him, “there were many people suffering injuries”.

According to the combat sports database Tapology, Mikail Ozen holds a professional record of one victory and two losses, all of which happened in the Austrian mixed martial promotion Vendetta.

Recep Tayyip Gultekin, on the other hand, never made his professional debut and has only one amateur loss in the aforementioned promotion, Vendetta.

The team at BJPENN.com sends its thoughts to those affected by this tragedy in Vienna.