Khamzat Chimaev's close associate and Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov pays homage to 3x Olympic champion Buvaisar Saitiev: "He will remain in our hearts"

Khamzat Chimaev's longtime associate and head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, has paid his tribute to wrestling legend Buvaisar Saitiev following the latter's demise. Kadyrov expressed his respect for Saitiev, particularly alluding to his significance in their native Chechnya.

Saitiev was a three-time Olympic gold medalist in the 74-kilogram category in the sport of freestyle wrestling. The martial artist, hailing from Russia's Chechnya region, is beheld as one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers ever. Born on March 11, 1975, he amassed nine gold medals at the world level in freestyle wrestling.

Moreover, Buvaisar Saitiev eventually transitioned to the political realm. He previously worked as a State Duma deputy in Russia's Dagestan region. The grappling savant also worked as the Chechen Wrestling Federation's president from 2015 until his passing in March 2025.

Per TASS, citing RWF (Russian Wrestling Federation) President Mikhail Mamiashvili, the 49-year-old Saitiev reportedly passed away. Sport Baza reported that he passed away in a hospital in Moscow.

As indicated by Baza's Telegram channel, the sportsperson-turned-politician was taken from his home to the hospital, with a case of suspected poisoning. Per Mash, he had a lung ailment. Mash also reported that intoxication-induced cardiac arrest could've caused his death.

Speaking to TASS, Mikhail Mamiashvili implied that he was shocked after being told about Saitiev's death. Mamiashvili indicated that they were to fly with one another the next day, but he didn't expound upon the official cause of Saitiev's death.

Meanwhile, UFC superstar Khamzat Chimaev's close associate, Ramzan Kadyrov, took to Telegram and seemed to suggest that Saitiev was dealing with heart-related health issues and had recently undergone treatment at a hospital in Moscow. Expressing his respect for the athlete -- who's survived by his wife, daughter, and three sons -- the Chechen leader said:

"Despite all the efforts of doctors, he is gone. But he will remain in our hearts as a man who dedicated his life to sports, raising the younger generation, and serving his people." [H/T - RTVI]

Moreover, Kadyrov labeled Buvaisar Saitiev as "a great son of the Chechen people." The Chechen politician also deemed him to be "a symbol of courage, nobility, and the true Caucasian spirit."

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Buvaisar Saitiev lauded Khamzat Chimaev and Ramzan Kadyrov

Despite moving from wrestling to politics, Buvaisar Saitiev was connected with the sport. Fighters like Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov expressed their respect for him after his death.

In October 2024, after Khamzat Chimaev's first-round submission victory against former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, Saitiev lauded 'Borz' and Ramzan Kadyrov.

Furthermore, he alluded to Chimaev's training with legendary coach Salim Selbievich paying off for the high-stakes fight against Whittaker. Saitiev also signaled that he'd like to see other Chechnyan and Dagestani athletes continue their success stories.

A translated excerpt from Saitiev's Instagram post, regarding Khamzat Chimaev's glory and Kadyrov's contributions to Chechnyan sports and to Russia overall, read as follows:

"Congratulations to Hamzat and all his fans on a confident victory and of course the main fan and motivator, the Head of the Chechen Republic, the Hero of Russia Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov, who supports him throughout his sporting career and does everything to make us happy with such victories and performances."

Check out Buvaisar Saitiev's Instagram post alongside Chimaev below: