How Chechnya’s warlord extinguished a UFC fighter’s star
Khamzat Chimaev, once a UFC golden boy, has now been reduced to a glorified propagandist for Ramzan Kadyrov, banned from entering the US and with his star all but extinguished.
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Less than a year after Khamzat Chimaev took the MMA world by storm in 2020 when he won a record-setting two fights in 10 days in the UFC, the Chechen superstar took to social media to hint at his retirement
"Thank you all so much for supporting me in my journey in this sport," he said in an Instagram post that has since been deleted. "I think I'm done."
Chimaev, who was just 26 years old at the time, was suffering from complications stemming from the coronavirus, which he had contracted a few months earlier. However, the UFC fighter continued to endure lingering effects from the virus, forcing him to withdraw from a scheduled bout. He was flown from Europe to the United States for treatment but later posted a picture on his Instagram story that showed a spray of what appeared to be blood in a sink.
“The main thing is I do not know what this disease is but it is not easily outlived,” he added.
Despite clearly suffering from longterm effects of covid-19, Chimaev’s retirement did not last, as he received a phone call from Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of Chechnya who also happens to be a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
In the statement, posted on Kadyrov’s instagram, the Chechen leader said:"I told him that all the Chechen people were upset by this news. I reminded Chimaev that all our young people, whom he inspires, are pinning great hopes on his victory.”
"This means that Khamzat does not leave," Kadyrov added.
"HE REMAINS AND WILL FIGHT TO THE END!"
The incident was unprecedented in the UFC: a dictator in Russia successfully influenced one of the UFC’s rising stars to come out of retirement, jeopardizing his health. This highlighted the warlord’s stronghold over the US-based MMA organization and his significant influence on Chechen-born fighters in the UFC.
It also marked a pivotal turning point in their relationship, one that would greatly benefit Chimaev while simultaneously leading to the downfall of his once-flourishing UFC career.
The Chechen Wolf and his Master
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