In his latest UFC triumph, Chechen fighter Khamzat Chimaev did more than celebrate winning the middleweight championship inside the cage. He dedicated the win to Adam Kadyrov, the 17-year-old son of Chechnya’s strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, often described as “Putin’s attack dog.” What should have been a sporting spectacle turned into a political statement.
“Chechens, the belt is ours! For a Chechen, it is no problem to win another one. Chechen youth, let’s work. Allahu Akbar! Akhmat is power! Dustum (Adam Kadyrov’s nickname), I am bringing you this piece of iron,” Chimaev declared, raising his championship belt.
The rhetoric was steeped in authoritarian devotion. Phrases like “Akhmat is power” are central to Kadyrov’s propaganda machine. For years, Kadyrov has cultivated a personality cult around himself, elevating his teenage son Adam as both heir and enforcer.
The making of “UFC Kadyrovtsy”
Chimaev’s public tribute illustrates how the cult of the Kadyrovs extends far beyond Chechnya, infiltrating international sports. For over a decade, Kadyrov has used mixed martial arts to polish his regime’s image, sponsoring fighters who echo his slogans and demonstrate loyalty.
His Akhmat Fight Club regularly hosts international athletes, many of whom receive patronage or pose for publicity alongside the Chechen leader. Now, Chimaev – one of the UFC’s most prominent Muslim stars – has exported this practice onto the global stage of mixed martial arts, from Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi.
Adam Kadyrov himself is a highly controversial figure. At just 17, he has been awarded military ranks, lavishly praised by Chechen state media, and accused of participating in the brutal mistreatment of detainees. His glorification as a heroic youth echoes the tactics of militant groups such as Hamas, which lionize young men as symbols of strength and sacrifice.
By dedicating victories to Kadyrov’s son and invoking warlike slogans, Chimaev risks transforming the UFC into a political platform – exporting the “Kadyrovtsy” mentality under the guise of sport. This raises pressing questions: how much should the UFC tolerate fighters using its brand to amplify authoritarian propaganda, and potentially, to legitimize violent ideologies?
The spectacle of a UFC champion presenting a teenager linked to violent abuses as a role model reverberates far beyond the Chechen diaspora. It reinforces a cult of violence, normalizes authoritarian worship, and undermines the idea that the UFC exists solely for athletic competition.
Chimaev and Palestine
Chimaev has also openly expressed solidarity with Palestinians – in ways that blur the line between advocacy and extremist rhetoric. On social media, he posted an image of the Dome of the Rock surrounded by Palestinian flags and a Hamas flag, accompanied by heart emojis. He added:
“You are just guests of Palestine… One day you will be expelled from Palestine Inshaalah [God Willing]… Give me the strongest man from Israel. I will break him.”
These posts drew widespread criticism. His comparison of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler was condemned as antisemitic, while his public challenge to Israeli fighters was denounced as incitement to violence.
The controversy intensified after UFC 294, when Chimaev directly appealed to Ramzan Kadyrov in a post-fight interview. Addressing the Chechen leader in his native language, Chimaev asked for permission to join the fight in Palestine:
“With your support, it’s not a problem for me to fight in the octagon. But if you grant me permission – I swear – I will be the first to travel there. I’m asking you, give me a weapon and allow me to fight for Palestine.”
Kadyrov praised Chimaev on Telegram, commending him for “strongly condemning the violence against the residents of Gaza” and hailing him as a true Muslim whose heart aches for the Palestinian cause.
Political and cultural context
Chimaev’s positions cannot be separated from his political affiliations. As a Chechen-born fighter aligned with Ramzan Kadyrov, his rhetoric is deeply intertwined with the authoritarian regime that has ruled Chechnya with violence and intimidation.
Kadyrov is closely tied to the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin, serving as a loyal proxy in Moscow’s wars – from the 2008 invasion of Georgia to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Chimaev’s public statements on Palestine, and his invocation of militant slogans, align neatly with the geopolitical posturing of Kadyrov and, by extension, the Russian state.
Chimaev’s case highlights the risk of international sport becoming a vehicle for authoritarian propaganda. When fighters dedicate victories to dictators’ heirs, glorify violence, and flirt with extremist narratives, the UFC risks being co-opted into an arena where ideology and sport become inseparable.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.