![Arman Tsarukyan reacts to the Khamzat Chimaev receiving his UAE passport. [Image Courtesy: Getty Images]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/02/e5655-17383741201318-1920.jpg)
![Arman Tsarukyan reacts to the Khamzat Chimaev receiving his UAE passport. [Image Courtesy: Getty Images]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.3157894736842'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAf/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAnZeL/8QAIxAAAQIFAwUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgEDAAQFBiIHExQREhUhM//aAAgBAQABPwC+gpUratWuGgcvllWGJZk5wR6lutKRE77VDLuQ8oXURGl2/Ds4Y/ZY/8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL/2gAIAQIBAT8Al//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABUf/aAAgBAwEBPwBw/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Arman Tsarukyan recently reacted to Khamzat Chimaev finally receiving an official UAE passport.
Hailing from Chechnya, Chimaev migrated to Sweden in 2012 when he was 19. He made his pro-MMA debut in 2018 when he was affiliated with the Stockholm-based training facility, Allstars Training Center. However, he decided to move to the UAE in 2023. Societal changes and certain governmental actions in Sweden reportedly influenced his decision.
An Instagram post from Chimaev showcased that he recently received the official UAE passport, adding his name to the country's list of recognized citizens. The unbeaten middleweight also thanked the President of the UAE, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and his deputy, Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, for their valued cooperation and trust in him.
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The post's caption read:
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"It is my honour and privilege to be able to represent this beautiful nation both as an athlete and a citizen. I would like to thank the UAE for its support and I will do my best to make this country proud of me. [A] special thanks to his highness Sheik @mohamedbinzayed and Sheik Hamdan for the trust and opportunity."
Tsarukyan also took to the post's comments section to laud Chimaev's feat. The top-ranked lightweight reacted with a singular emoji:
"💣"
![Arman Tsarukyan's comment on Khamzat Chimaev's Instagram post. [Image courtesy: @khamzat_chimaev on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/02/0c2d0-17383726542950-1920.jpg)
Why did Khamzat Chimaev decide to relocate to UAE?
Khamzat Chimaev has never discussed the reason behind electing to move to UAE despite starting his pro-MMA career while training at Stockholm's Allstars Training Center. However, a few reports suggest that Chimaev took offense at the Swedish government's act of refusing to take down social media videos of the Holy Quran being burned in public to protect the freedom of expression in the country.
There might also be some other factors that influenced Chimaev's decision to move to the UAE. Notably, his jiu-jitsu coach has revealed that 'Borz' never even had a Swedish passport and was never a citizen of the Scandinavian country, further causing travel issues.
