UFC superstar Khamzat Chimaev maintains a very close relationship with Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov. Moreover, ‘Borz’ also mentors Kadyrov’s sons in mixed martial arts.
Ramzan Kadyrov’s son Ali Kadyrov clinched his maiden pro-MMA win at the recently concluded Absolute Championship Akhmat – 150 on December 23.
At the event in Moscow, Chimaev’s pupil secured a first-round knockout victory against fellow Russian Islam Akbarov. Following the impressive win, ‘Borz’ penned a heartfelt note for his protege on Instagram, saying:
“I wholeheartedly congratulate my dear BROTHER, grandson of the First President of the Chechen Republic, Hero of Russia AKHMAT-HADZHA KADYROV, representative of the Republican sports club “Akhmat” Ali Kadyrov with a bright victory in the ASA 150 tournament! Making his MMA debut against Islam Akbarov in Moscow, Eli displayed excellent fighting skills and will to win by sending his opponent off in the first round. I sincerely wish Ali good health, further success in sports! I GAVE a little bit of beer, yay! AKHMAT-FORCE! ALLAH IS THE GREATEST!”
The 28-year-old UFC fighter was also in the teenager’s corner for his MMA debut.
Even though Ali Kadyrov technically won the fight, many fight fans on Twitter opined that the match officials were biased towards the dictator’s son and granted him an undeserved win.
When Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov squashed the beef between Khamzat Chimaev and Abubakar Nurmagomedov
UFC welterweight Khamzat Chimaev was involved in a cage-side altercation with promotional legend Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin, Abubakar Nurmagomedov, at UFC 280.
However, it seems that Chechen head of state Ramzan Kadyrov was instrumental in brokering peace between the two Russians. In an Instagram post following the UFC 280 unpleasantries, Kadyrov said:
“Nerves can be stressed to the limit not only in the octagon but also outside. Each of the spectators is worried about the athlete, and the fighters experience the same emotions as in the ring. Therefore, it is not surprising that misunderstandings arise at the limit of emotions. “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 to a global scale and do not try to instigate and tease athletes and their fans.”
It is safe to assume that Kadyrov’s intervention has worked since Khamzat Chimaev was photographed sharing a meal with Nurmagomedov’s team after the UFC 280 scuffle.