Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is a controversial global figure with some presence in martial arts, and Lucas Browne had a rather curious encounter with Kadyrov years ago.
The backstory to that comes from a fight in Browne’s boxing career in Grozny when he faced Ruslan Chagaev. There was a photo of an open training session in Grozny around that time, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov was seen with Browne himself.
When asked about the backstory of that curious Kadyrov photo he retweeted on his personal X account, Browne said [via Bare Knuckle Bowker],
“That was throughout the whole process. I was treated like a superstar. So I didn’t have any problems with anyone. They put two, maybe three guards on duty 24 hours a day with guns and things like that. We were completely protected for whatever reason. The bit about Kadyrov was funny because he was doing pads and doing this, doing that, and literally he’s the guy.”
“Everyone just bows at his feet. Whatever he does, whatever he says, it’s the funniest thing you’ve ever heard. Yes, he was literally the man. And I remember watching a Cabinet meeting and all the other Cabinet members were in their military uniforms. He had jeans and a leather jacket. I thought, ‘That’s him.’ That kind of thing just sums him up.” And then we were in the ring taking those shots and for whatever reason, he just went boom and hit me like I would say three-quarter punch in the stomach.
Kadyrov’s men would have shot Browne if he had retaliated
Browne was struck by such a powerful figure in terms of global political influence and was faced with the split-second decision of what to do next after that seventy-five percent surprise attack from Kadyrov, Browne continued. [via Bare Knuckle Bowker],
“I’m like, ‘Um, what do I do now?’ I actually asked my babysitter after I said, “What happens if I hit him back?” He says: we would have shot you. Fair enough [laughs]. So like it was a distinct experience there. It got to the point where I had to say no to this opportunity of a lifetime, just in case, or should I just go for it?
“And that’s exactly how I am. I just go for it, no matter what happens. So it happened. It happened. But yeah, we kind of live after it. I should have at least been a millionaire and had a completely different life and/or story. But my next fight was in Australia for $10,000. So a very big difference.”
After winning his bare-knuckle boxing debut at BKB 45, Browne has two more fights lined up this calendar year, ideally with the ambition of having a bare-knuckle boxing debut as well as a gloves boxing match to close out 2025.
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