Ukrainian MMA fighter Chases Down Thieves Who Stole His Car in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Police Department is currently delving into an incident supported by compelling footage.

The video captures an emerging MMA athlete, Egor Kostyuchenko, being pulled along a city road, desperately trying to prevent carjackers from making off with his vehicle.

Kostyuchenko devotes the majority of his time to training. However, nothing could have readied him for the events of Tuesday, during which he found himself face-to-face with the car thieves.

“I see four people sit in my car and go forward,” Kostyuchenko, a native of Ukraine, shared.

The incident transpired when the 25-year-old was on his side gig as a food delivery worker around the vicinity of 11th and Race streets. Having double-parked and left his car running momentarily, a malefactor took this chance to hop in and speed away, as stated by the police.

A bystander, noticing the ongoing theft, started filming the incident from their vehicle. This footage now forms a part of the investigative material the police are examining.

The recording further depicts two other men stepping out of a black Jeep Cherokee and slipping into Kostyuchenko’s 2008 white Mercedes. As per police details, this black Jeep, too, was acquired illegally.

Subsequently, the thieves deserted the Jeep and drove away in Kostyuchenko’s Mercedes. Unbeknownst to them, Kostyuchenko was sprinting behind them, catching up when the vehicle got stuck in traffic at 7th and Race streets.

“My car stopped with traffic. I grabbed my door and said, ‘Stop the car, it’s my car,'” Kostyuchenko recounted. He shared with Action News that he initially surmised the event to be a playful jest or an unintentional error.

However, the situation escalated as Kostyuchenko clung to the car, with the driver menacing him, stating, “(He said) don’t touch car, I kill you.”

A man in the back of the vehicle even fired two rounds, both of which narrowly missed Kostyuchenko. A shell casing from the shooting was later discovered at the site.

The intense clip, shared by Kostyuchenko’s buddy Sam Oropeza, has already garnered attention, racking up over half a million views by Thursday.

“You saw the footage of him holding on for his life,” remarked Oropeza, expressing his dismay regarding the rampant crime rates in Philadelphia.

Kostyuchenko, who moved from Ukraine a mere eight months back, hadn’t envisioned this life for himself. “He’s been in the country for like maybe a year now, and he’s been robbed twice,” revealed Oropeza.

His car contained his wallet, crucial documents, phone, and all his MMA equipment.

The MMA community has since come together in support. A GoFundMe page has been set up for Kostyuchenko, who trains alongside UFC sensation Sean Brady.

Boasting an unblemished 4-0 record in MMA, Kostyuchenko, conditioned for in-ring combat, hadn’t imagined applying those skills on Philadelphia’s streets.

“People told me every time, ‘Philadelphia, it’s a different city. You need to be careful,'” Kostyuchenko mentioned.

While the police discourage confronting car thieves, Kostyuchenko acknowledges his actions might not have been prudent, but he was driven by the adrenaline surge.

Law enforcement speculates the thieves might have taken the car to New Jersey, with Kostyuchenko’s phone later found on the Ben Franklin Bridge by a Port Authority official.

Investigators are on the hunt for more videos to aid in apprehending the culprits.

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