Khamzat Chimaev‘s formidable wrestling isn’t a match for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, it seems.
Like many fighters hailing from the Caucasus region of Russia, Chimaev has been actively courted by Kadyrov since his rise to UFC stardom. The iron-fisted ruler famously coaxed Khamzat out of retirement during his near-death spell with COVID-19, reportedly gifting him a Mercedes SUV as incentive. He even attended his favorite fighter’s secret wedding as a guest of honor earlier this month.
Now Kadyrov, who is currently under US sanctions for a slew of human rights abuses, has released footage of a friendly sparring session in which he’s shown manhandling Chimaev and forcing the #3-ranked UFC welterweight to tap. The video also shows Khamzat sparring with Kadyrov’s sons, who like their father somehow held their own against one of the UFC’s most feared fighters.
“Grandchildren of the First President of the Chechen Republic, Hero of Russia Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov – Adam and Eli Kadyrov met face to face with the thunderstorm of the octagon. Despite the fact that this is only a friendly sparring, the “Chechen Wolf” exhausted his rivals in his usual manner, once again proving his skill and composure in the fighting arena,” wrote Kadyrov on Instagram.
“Despite the formidable and eminent opponent, the guys were in no way inferior to Khamzat in skill. As befits the fighters, they analyzed the movements and weaknesses of the opponent, after which they proceeded to counterattacks. At the end of the training, I myself could not resist the temptation to test my strength in a friendly duel with our dear BROTHER.”
This isn’t the first time Kadyrov has ragdollled one of the UFC’s finest for the cameras. Khabib Nurmagomedov, who has fallen out of favor with the Chechen leader of late, has also had the honor of being publicly manhandled by Kadyrov. And if you’re wondering why two of MMA’s best grapplers are so willing to submit to Kadyrov, you only have to ask Fedor Emelianenko.
In 2016, the heavyweight great’s daughter was reportedly attacked by Kadyrov’s goons after he criticized the Chechen strongman for staging child MMA fights.
What do you think of Ramzan Kadyrov playfully submitting Khamzat Chimaev?