UFC fighter-turned-soldier skewers Khamzat Chimaev for sparring session with Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov
Khamzat Chimaev continues to draw public scrutiny for his relationship with Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov. 'Borz' has been spotted training with Kadyrov, who has been marred by allegations of severe human rights violations.
Chimaev has also seemingly taken Kadyrov's sons under his wings to help them on their MMA journey. He was recently spotted training with 15-year-old Ali Kadyrov and his entourage at the Tiger Muay Thai facility in Thailand.
Check out Khamzat Chimaev's training session with Kadyrov below:
Khamzat Chimaev vs Kadyrov (président tchétchène) 🐺
Je suis mort la simulation, il sait un takedown et sa famille est 6 pieds sous terre 😭 https://t.co/7JGE2Hp25B
Several UFC stars like Kamaru Usman, Justin Gaethje, and Henry Cejudo have visited Chechnya in the past at the invitation of Ramzan Kadyrov. Chimaev, in particular, has received backlash for his close association with the Chechen leader, who has been accused of a number of abuses, including the forced disappearance of opponents, torture, and the persecution of homosexuals.
Tim Kennedy, a former UFC fighter who competed between 2013 and 2016, questioned why it's acceptable for fighters like Khamzat Chimaev to train with a divisive figure like Kadyrov. Kennedy said that it was hypocritical of the UFC to prevent fighters from training with James Krause while an investigation into the betting controversy was ongoing, but it was perfectly acceptable for them to train with Kadyrov. He wrote on Twitter:
"Let me get this right… It’s totally fine that the UFC controls what a fighter wears on his shorts, whether or not they train with James Kraus, or what they do on their social media, but it’s totally fine for them to train with a terrorist."
Check out the tweet below:
Let me get this right… It’s totally fine that the UFC controls what a fighter wears on his shorts, whether or not they train with James Kraus, or what they do on their social media, but it’s totally fine for them to train with a terrorist. twitter.com/MMArena_/statu…
When Ramzan Kadyrov helped settle the dispute between Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov's brother
Khamzat Chimaev and Ramzan Kadyrov's sons were in attendance for the UFC 280 lightweight title bout between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira. After the main fight concluded, 'Borz' infamously engaged in a physical altercation with Khabib Nurmagomedov's brother, Abubakar.
Chimaev is hanging out with Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov’s teenage sons at #UFC280 https://t.co/AxLemfd0uB
While the pair have had a conflicting relationship online, the feud appears to have begun in 2021. The situation then became violent as they crossed paths, requiring UFC and venue security to separate the combatants.
Soon after the incident, a video of Khabib Nurmagomedov acting as a peacemaker to end the protracted conflict appeared online. However, it was Ramzan Kadyrov who helped orchestrate peace between the combatants, as evidenced by a screenshot of a video call he posted on Instagram. He captioned the post:
"There is no quarrel between Khamzat Chimaev and Abubakr Nurmagomedov - I have made sure of it personally, and I pass this information on to the ill-wishers. Do not blow up this problem of a global scale and do not try to instigate and tease athletes and their fans. This happens, including among brothers. But it was the misunderstanding that was resolved. We were and will be brothers, Inshallah!"