Former interim light-weight UFC champion Justin Gaethje has publicly acknowledged {a photograph} of himself attending a party for the teenage son of Ramzan Kadyrov, however has denied ever assembly the sanctioned Chechen Republic head and Vladimir Putin ally.
‘By no means met the man,’ Gaethje wrote in a tense Twitter trade with Barstool Sports activities president Dave Portnoy.
Nevertheless, when offered with a weeks-old tweet exhibiting him firing weapons with Chechnyan solders ‘on the invitation’ of Kadyrov, Gaethje appeared to acknowledge the controversial journey: ‘Went for the children (sic) party. I additionally prefer to shoot weapons.’
Former interim light-weight UFC champion Justin Gaethje (left) has publicly acknowledged {a photograph} of himself attending a party for the teenage son (proper) of Ramzan Kadyrov, however has denied ever assembly the sanctioned Chechen Republic head
Kadyrov (proper), the pinnacle of the Chechen Republic, is a longtime ally of Vladimir Putin (left)
The assembly is a part of a rising variety of troubling connections between the Kadyrov and UFC fighters – one thing that the blended martial arts promotion has discouraged because of US sanctions within the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The UFC claims no enterprise relations with Kadyrov and insists it has adopted US legal guidelines.
Nevertheless, the New York Occasions reviews that US authorities officers are conscious of ties between UFC fighters and Kadyrov, the strongman who was first confronted treasury sanctions in 2017 amid allegations of human rights violations, such because the kidnapping and homicide of LGBTQ folks in Chechnya.
In November, Gaethje and fellow former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo had been pictured testing weaponry on the Russian Particular Forces College in Chechnya, the place many troopers are skilled earlier than being deployed to the warfront in Ukraine.
In November, Gaethje and fellow former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo had been pictured testing weaponry on the Russian Particular Forces College in Chechnya, the place many troopers are skilled earlier than being deployed to the warfront in Ukraine
Former UFC champion Kamaru Usman is seen firing weapons with Russian particular forces
UFC’s Henry Cejudo is seen with a rocket launcher whereas assembly with Russian particular forces
Kadyrov additionally publicized video footage of the three firing grenade launchers and assault rifles. The 46-year-old also known as ‘Putin’s assault canine’ has helped provide troopers for Russian forces in Ukraine and has inspired the Kremlin to make use of a supposedly low-yield nuclear weapon within the ongoing struggle.
All three fighters attended the party for one among Kadyrov’s teenage sons, based on the New York Occasions. Usman has allegedly visited Chechnya twice for the reason that Treasury Division imposed sanctions on one among Kadyrov’s companies, Akhmat MMA, a fitness center that has produced a lot of UFC fighters, together with rising UFC star Khamzat Chimaev.
In truth, Chimaev was pictured ringside at UFC 280 within the United Arab Emirates with two of Kadyrov’s youngsters again in October. Moreover, each Chimaev and one among Kadyrov’s sons had been pictured on the combat with UFC president Dana White. That picture has since surfaced on Instagram.
Maybe worst of all, Chimaev was pictured coaching with Kadyrov.
Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov (prime) skilled with UFC star Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev, who was born in Chechnya, is pictured coaching with Kadyrov (in blue) final Could
In its assertion to the Occasions, the UFC stated it has ‘no contractual relationship or any business dealings with Ramzan Kadyrov.’ The promotion conceded that its a whole bunch of fighters are impartial contractors, ‘who’ve management over many points of their careers, together with the place they practice or the place they reside when not competing.’
The UFC has barred its fighters from working with Akhmat MMA.
Latest treasury sanctions in opposition to Kadyrov particularly talked about his connections to MMA fighters, including that he helped recruit fighters for the struggle in Ukraine by his gyms.
‘With that particularly famous within the designation, it is going to be very attention-grabbing to see what occurs together with his M.M.A. associates,’ Shahroo Yazdani, a lawyer who makes a speciality of Treasury sanctions, informed the Occasions. ‘We could nicely see extra fighters stopped at airports and probably much more designations associated to these working together with his MMA membership.’
Kadyrov has even boasted of his entry to MMA stars, as soon as writing on Instagram that he ‘personally’ helped mediate a disagreement between Chimaev and former UFC light-weight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Later, one among Kadyrov’s militia chiefs, Abuzayed Vismuradov, posted an image of each Chimaev and Nurmagomedov to show the dispute was resolved. One other UFC fighter, Islam Makhachev, can be seen within the image.
Some points could have already surfaced for Russian MMA fighters.
In November, one among Akhmat MMA’s fighters named Maxim Grishin had his upcoming combat abruptly canceled. Later he informed a Russian information company that he struggled to get a visa for the bout.
Grishin did reveal that he was warned about associating with Kadyrov.
‘I used to be informed that it’s higher to not affiliate myself with the Akhmat Combat Membership, which I’m a consultant of,’ Grishin informed Match TV. ‘However this isn’t only a contract, we’ve brotherly relations. I thought of it cowardly. Sport is separate from politics, why ought to I cover one thing? I do not do something unhealthy to the universe, why ought to the universe do unhealthy issues to me?’
The UFC declined to reply the Occasions’ questions on Grishin.
The an agent who represents Usman, Gaethje, Cejudo and Ankalaev didn’t reply to the Occasions’ request for remark.
