Khamzat Chimaev (12-0 in MMA) is a top UFC fighter who is yet to be defeated in mixed martial arts. ‘Borz’ has been a sheer force that has dominated almost every opponent that has come his way. He now plans to continue his dominance in the middleweight division of the promotion, as he is set to make his debut in the 185-pound category against former UFC champion Kamaru Usman.
Khamzat hails from Chechnya, which is located in southeast Russia. He is known to be a close friend of controversial Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov. The latter has been a fan of mixed martial arts and even had a deputy prime minister who was a UFC fighter formerly.
The fighter in question is none but Abdul-Kerim Edilov, who featured in the UFC back in 2017 and won via TKO against Bojan Mihajlović. His closeness with the Chechen leader is a testimony to the fact that he was given important positions in the government, such as Chief of Staff and later Deputy Prime Minister. However, Edilov was found dead in December 2022, and the reason for his untimely demise is still unknown.
Chechen activists are reporting that former UFC fighter Abdul-Kerim Edilov has died at age 30.
Edilov was a nanny for the dictator’s sons before becoming vice premier.
Circumstances surrounding Edilov’s death are unclear but should note he’d fallen out of favor w/ Kadyrov pic.twitter.com/mQK3veemaT
— Karim Zidan 🪶 (@ZidanSports) December 29, 2022
It is to be noted that not much before his death, the fighter had resigned from Ramzan’s government. Reports indicate that Edilov and Kadyrov fell out and ended their long-standing friendship before the former’s resignation. Many attribute the former UFC fighter’s unexplained death to his resignation.
Though the circumstances surrounding Edilov’s demise remain mysterious, his political rise and then decline serve as a cautionary example for fighters who choose to maintain connections with the oppressive dictator, as per some fans. Many also feel Khamzat Chimaev may suffer the same fate if he ever goes against the Chechen leader.
Khamzat Chimaev was once ‘choked out’ by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in a sparring session
In May 2022, Khamzat Chimaev got choked out by Ramzan Kadyrov in a playful sparring session. The duo engaged in a lighthearted sparring session, initiating it with an exchange of strikes while standing. Chimaev, at one point, opted to transition the sparring to the ground, but he swiftly encountered a reversal from the MMA enthusiast Kadyrov.
Kadyrov ultimately secured a grip on Chimaev’s neck, compelling him to submit to a one-arm guillotine. Afterwards, the two competitors got back on their feet, sharing a brief moment of laughter before continuing their friendly bout, which concluded with Kadyrov seizing Chimaev’s back.
Here is UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev sparring with Ramzan Kadyrov at the Chechen dictator’s fight club pic.twitter.com/kq2W8MFh7k
— Karim Zidan 🪶 (@ZidanSports) May 29, 2022
Now, this was nothing more than a friendly sparring session, but fans noticed the dominance that Kadyrov tried to display against one of the most feared fighters in the UFC currently.
Chimaev has good relations with Kadyrov
Chimaev has good relations with the Chechen leader. He often does friendly sparring sessions with Kadyrov and ends up getting choked out in most of them. He even attended UFC 280 with the controversial leader’s sons in Abu Dhabi, UAE, last year.
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Khamzat was heavily criticized for this act of his, as Kadyrov has been known as a warlord with several accusations of kidnapping, assassination, and torture directed at him. Moreover, Kadyrov, who has additionally faced allegations related to anti-LGBTQ campaigns, dispatched a contingent of Chechen troops to back Vladimir Putin’s controversial invasion of Ukraine.