Khamzat Chimaev is currently unable to enter the United States, and his connection to sanctioned Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is looking like the main issue.
Chimaev’s name came up several times during UFC 300 headliner talks, but “Borz” was unable to participate due to the event’s proximity to Ramadan. There’s also the question of whether the UFC could even get him to Las Vegas these days. Back in October, one of Khamzat’s coaches revealed that the middleweight was having visa difficulties due to his Chechen nationality and Russian passport.
Not mentioned by the coach was Chimaev’s close relationship with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. In December 2020, the State department sanctioned Kadyrov over multiple human rights abuses including torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial executions. Further rounds of sanctions and visa restrictions targeting Kadyrov associates were announced after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. They specifically named Kadyrov’s MMA promotions and fight teams as providing him with ‘pride and profit.’
Now The Guardian and Bloody Elbow’s Karim Zidan has confirmed that Khamzat’s issues are bigger than just a Russian passport.
“Multiple sources familiar with the matter, speaking to Sports Politika on the condition of anonymity, suggested that the UFC fighter’s visa troubles stem, at least partially, from his association with the dictator,” Zidan wrote on his Substack.
To give you some perspective on how strict the U.S. government can be when it comes to refusing people entry, boxer Tyson Fury is currently unable to enter the country after he posed for a photo with Daniel Kinahan, leader Ireland’s Kinahan drug cartel. Not only is Tyson barred, but his little brother Tommy is barred too — a fact the younger Fury only discovered when he tried to fight Jake Paul in New York.
Tyson Fury had distanced himself from Kinahan after the U.S. government sanctioned the drug lord and put a $5 million dollar bounty on his head. But a subsequent social media photo of the two together in Dubai was enough to result in a ban extending even to his relatives.
Now imagine what they think of Khamzat Chimaev’s continued support of Kadyrov. The two train together, and Chimaev trains Kadyrov’s sons. Kadyrov has gifted “Borz” cars, houses, and attended his wedding. After Khamzat won his last fight at UFC 294, the two traveled together on Kadyrov’s private jet. It’s not the kind of association the State Department is willing to overlook, especially given the state of the Russia / Ukraine war.
So we wouldn’t get our hopes up on seeing Chimaev in the U.S. any time soon. Fortunately for his fans, the UFC is an international promotion with semi-regular events in the Middle East. He could still be booked on Saudi Arabia’s June card, or at Abu Dhabi’s October event. But would the UFC be willing to give him a shot at championship gold under such restrictive circumstances?
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
