Dictator Kadyrov pressures Chimaev to abandon retirement despite the complications of COVID-19

On Monday night, Khamzat Chimaev – one of the UFC’s rising stars – appeared to announce his retirement from MMA due to health complications arising from COVID-19.

Chimaev, 26, was reportedly hospitalized on several occasions after contracting COVID-19 last year. During one of these periods, the Chechen native told his manager that he believed he was going to die. He later posted a photo in his story on Instagram that showed a stream of blood in a sink, which highlights the serious long-term complications that affect many people who recover from the virus. Faced with a demoralizing situation, Chimaev turned to social media to announce that he “ended” the sport.

Despite the apparent seriousness of Chimaev’s condition, Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov quickly ended talks about Chimaev’s retirement.

“Khamzat said his recovery from the disease has been slow and, in an attempt to be honest and frank with fans, he decided not to give them hope,” wrote Kadyrov on his VKontakte page on Tuesday, adding that he also arranged for Chimaev returns to Chechnya, where he will “complete a rehabilitation course” and “conduct a training camp”.

“I told him that ALL Chechens were upset by the news,” added Kadyrov. “I reminded Chimaev that the young people, whom he inspires, are pinning their hopes and expectations on his success … and if fans need to wait for his return, then we will all look forward to his return to the octagon with anxiety and patience.”

Kadyrov has long embraced MMA as a soft power strategy, using sport to cover up heinous crimes and to divert attention away from continuing human rights abuses, such as targeted assassinations of dissidents, as well as anti-gay purges aimed at the LGBTQ + community of Chechnya. And while the United States has imposed sanctions on Kadyrov for his well-documented abuses, he remains an influential figure in the sport.

Kadyrov founded the Akhmat MMA fighting club – a training center with more than 15 branches across the region – as well as an MMA (World Fighting Championship of Akhmat) promotion, later renamed the Absolute Championship Akhmat) that held more than 60 events in many countries. Several fighters who represent his fighting club have already started to compete in the UFC, including Maxim Grishin and Magomed Ankalaev, who competed in recent shows. He also hosted numerous athletes and celebrities, including Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather and a selection of current and former UFC champions, such as Frank Mir, Chirs Weidman, Fabricio Werdum, Frankie Edgar, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kamaru Usman.

By partnering with some of the most popular figures in combat sports, Kadyrov is presenting the image of a benevolent leader and sports lover, rather than a tyrannical despot who oppresses his citizens and treats Chechnya as his own personal fiefdom. This tactic is known as sports laundering – a term coined by Amnesty International in 2018 to describe authoritarian regimes that use sport to soften their human rights records – and has been especially helpful in consolidating their government in Chechnya. Kadyrov’s relationship with Chimaev is no exception.

Chimaev visited Kadyrov’s Akhmat MMA facilities in Grozny on several occasions, including June 2019, where he participated in the ‘Extra Rounds’ combat sports talk show and organized a training seminar for children. A clip of his appearance shows him training at the facility, with a photo of Kadyrov plastered along the wall behind him. Chimaev also repeatedly mentioned Kadyrov on social media, including an Instagram post of January 6, 2021, which showed the two Chechens hugging each other in Kadyrov’s palace.

Kadyrov’s decision to intervene and pressure Chimaev to retire emphasizes his value to the Chechen dictator. As one of the best prospects in the UFC, Chimaev has the potential to become the most successful Chechen athlete in a generation, which is why Kadyrov took the opportunity to use the fighter in an attempt to promote his own socio-political agenda.

“I’m sure Khamzat will take the UFC belt and prove that he is the best of the best!” Kadyrov said in his VK post on Tuesday.