Ramzan Kadyrov personally greeted Khamzat Chimaev on a runway in Chechenia after the hunter came home with his newly won UFC Middleweight Championship belt. The meeting followed Chimaev’s unanimous victory over Dricus du Plessis on UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16, 2025.
Ramzan Kadyrov meets Khamzat Chimaev after historic UFC Middleweight victory
Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic, was one of the first to congratulate Chimaev after his title profit. In a video message on social media, Kadyrov described the 31-year-old Jager as a descendant of historic Chechen leaders Sheikh Mansur and Baysgurur, who fought against the Russian Empire during the 19th-century conquest of the North Caucasus. Video made by Usatayka.
The airport meeting represented the continuation of a long -term relation Between the two men. Chimaev has maintained close ties with Kadyrov for several years and often appeared together in messages on social media and training sessions. The Chechen leader has previously donated the Fighter Luxury vehiclesattended his wedding and offered various forms of support during his career.
The return from Chimaev to Chechenia marked his first trip home with a UFC title. During his speech after the fight on UFC 319, De Jager devoted his championship victory to Adam Kadyrov, the Chechen leader 17-year-old sonTo whom he referred by the nickname “Dustum”. De Jager held up the championship belt while he “Chetsjens, the belt is our” and stated that he would bring the title to the region.
The championship leg on UFC 319 saw Chimaev du Plessis dominate over five rounds, all three judges scored the 50-44 match in his favor. The victory expanded the unbeaten professional record from Chimaev to 15-0 and marked its first UFC title after years of opportunities for championship.
The path of Chimaev to fight in the United States was complicated by visa issues, which he attributed to his connections with Kadyrov, which has been punished by the US government since 2017 for alleged human rights violations. De Jager has credited former President Donald Trump to help him secure the necessary visa to compete at UFC 319.
The relationship between Chimaev and Cadyrov has drawn strict supervision of human rights organizations and MMA observers because of the controversial of the Chechen leader file. Kadyrov has had to deal with sanctions from several Western countries for alleged abuses, including torture, extrajudicial murders and persecution of minorities.
The victory established Chimaev as the first UFC Middleweight Champion from Chechenia and positioned him among the elite competitors of the sport. His dominant version against Du Plessis, which contained a UFC record 529 strikes.
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