After Khamzat Chimaev’s victory over Kevin Holland in the UFC 279 co-main event, some of Russia’s most dangerous and controversial men are celebrating the Chechen fighter.
The first to congratulate Chimayev after Saturday night’s performance was Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov, accused of well-documented human rights abuses acts, including enforced disappearances, torture, summary executions, and the ongoing purge of the LGBTQ+ community in Chechnya.
The dictator released a series of short videos from Chimaev fighting along with the phrase “Akhmat Sila”, a battle cry popularized by Kadyrov and translated as Akhmat Power. It’s also a phrase consistently used by Chechen troops involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Hours later, Kadyrov A second post was shared on his official VKontakte account, adding: “Chimaev is definitely not worried about his weight, but he also won’t be attending the ceremony with other categories. He just goes out, wins, in the Octagon Set out his terms and put things in order.”
Kadyrov’s children, all as Kade Part of a promotional display for the Rove Dynasty, who competed in unsanctioned youth mixed martial arts competitions, also shared congratulatory posts on Instagram.
Others ecstatic about Chimayev’s success are the Chechen politician and Military commander Adam Delimkhanov, who is currently involved in the siege of Mariupol in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Delimkhanov posted highlights of Chimaev’s fight on Telegram, along with a long message congratulating his “dear brother” on the victory.
“Last night, Khamzat beat American rival Kevin Holland with lightning speed,” Delimkhanov said. “Bolz now has 12 wins from 12. Brilliant result! Khamzat played to his advantage from the first second against Holland, tying his opponent for two minutes until he was strangled. Of course, the entire Chechen Republic and Russia are supporting our compatriots.”
Elsewhere, the Chechen state Policy and Foreign Relations Minister Ahmed Dudayev posted a photo of himself standing next to Chimaev on Telegram, noting that the UFC fighter’s “main fan, head of the Chechen Republic, hero of Russia, my dear brother Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov highly appreciates his humanity and desire to win!”
Worth Note that while Kadyrov, Delimkhanov, and Akhmat MMA Fight Club are currently facing U.S. Treasury sanctions, Chimaev continues to be in regular contact with these entities.
