By: Debadrita Ghosh Image credit: Twitter
The former UFC fighter Abdul-Kerim Edilov who worked as a babysitter and martial arts trainer for Ramzan Kadyrov's children passed away on 29th December.
The 30-year-old Edilov was once regarded as Kadyrov's brightest fighter. In 2015, he joined the Chechen warlord's Akhmat MMA fight club and soon rose to become one of the primary representatives before signing with the UFC in August 2015.
In January 2016, Edilov's UFC debut was canceled after he tested positive for meldonium, a banned substance. However, he made his debut in UFC in September 2017, after his 15-month suspension.
Even after his impressive victory, Edilov did not return to the UFC. Rather, he concentrated on becoming a loyal servant to Kadyrov's family.
Edilov had spent the majority of his time with Kadyrov's children over the next few years. He accompanied them to Quran recitation classes, taught to fight, and coached them in amateur fights at Akhmat fight club. Later, he became Kadyrov's chief staff, a government official.
However, in the past few months, Edilov was no longer seen in Kadyrov's video montages, and neither he was seen in the training sessions with Kadyrov's children. He was rather seen in his training with UFC star Khamzat Chimaev.
Edilov was last seen in Kadyrov's videos during the early stages of the Russia-Ukraine war, where the caption read, "We are prepared to live and ready to die by the way of Kadyrov." However, his Instagram page was later deleted.
The context of Edilov's death is still not clear. Kadyrov has neither confirmed the news yet nor expressed his public condolences, as he has done in previous similar situations. Instead, the dictator shared an Instagram story in which he appeared doing push-ups.
Who Is Abdul-Kerim Edilov, Former UFC Fighter and Close Ally of Ramzan Kadyrov, Who Died Under Mysterious Circumstances