Fans on Twitter reacted to reports suggesting that Khamzat Chimaev was stuck in Russia after having his passport seized.
The report was first disseminated by media outlet Combate and reposted by Spinning Backfist on Twitter. According to the article, the Russian government seized Chimaev’s passport while he was traveling to visit family. The UFC superstar currently lives in Sweden.
Moments later, Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA refuted the reports after speaking to Chimaev’s manager, Majdi Shammas.
Check out the conflicting reports below:
True or not, the merciless reactions from fans on Twitter were telling of how unpopular ‘Borz’ had become. Not many were sympathetic towards Chimaev, especially since he’s aligned with Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov.
Since Russia has been forcibly recruiting men into the military, many Twitter users have speculated that Chimaev could be forced to fight in the war. Others even made light of the situation, pointing out that such a scenario would force Chimaev to “kill everybody” as he so often claims.
Meanwhile, some were confused as to why Chimaev would fly to Russia while the country is engaged in a political conflict.
On the flipside, there are those who were curious and wanted more information. And finally, there are Twitter users who are just plain trolling.
Chechen dissenters take aim at Khamzat Chimaev
People who oppose Chechnya’s political leadership recently slammed UFC superstar Khamzat Chimaev for his longstanding association with Ramzan Kadyrov.
1Adat, an anonymous Telegram channel operated by Chechen activists, posted a video of Chimaev’s from the UFC 279 ceremonial weigh-ins with the caption:
“Hey mankurt [mindless slave], don’t let the word ‘Chechnya’ come out of your mouth. Know your place, Kadyrov’s puppy.”
Kadyrov has been in power since his rise in 2007. He has been repeatedly accused of perpetrating human rights abuses, including disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and state-sponsored eradication of LGBTQ+ members.
Chimaev was seen hanging out with the Chechen dictator on multiple occasions. He also participated in training sessions with Kadyrov’s teenage sons and frequented the Akhmat MMA fight club – a state-sponsored combat sports facility that houses Chechnya’s top fighters.
