Khamzat Chimaev's ties to "horrible dictator" Ramzan Kadyrov could jeopardize UFC, says former fighter

Khamzat Chimaev recently defeated Robert Whittaker via a statement first-round submission at UFC 308 last weekend and strongly inserted himself in the middleweight title picture. However, ex-UFC star Brendan Schaub believes Chimaev's ties to Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov could cause major problems.

It's no secret that Chimaev shares a close relationship with Kadyrov and often praises the reigning Head of the Chechen Republic on social media. The two have also trained together, and Kadyrov was notably a guest of honor at Chimaev's wedding in 2022.

With Chimaev's dominant victory over Whittaker at UFC 308, many believe a 185-pound title shot is inevitable. However, Schaub believes that Chimaev's connection to Kadyrov could pose problems for the UFC if he became a champion.

During a recent video on YouTube, the former UFC heavyweight shared his thoughts on Chimaev's potential title shot. He said:

"There's a lot going on behind the scenes with Khamzat that people don't know about... That Chechen dictator, his two sons were his cornermen, did you know that? So then, it's like, how close is he with this dictator?... Do you want that to be the face of the middleweight division? One of the faces of the UFC, knowing there are these ties to this horrible dictator."

Schaub continued:

"If you're DDP [Dricus du Plessis] and Strickland [Sean], whoever wins that fight, which they're probably going to do next... You're gonna ask that champ to only fight in the Middle East? Well, that ain't fair... To make these guys go to the Middle East is insane."

Watch the full video below:

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Team Dricus du Plessis wants Khamzat Chimaev for UFC 312 next year

Khamzat Chimaev could get a UFC middleweight title shot as early as February 2025. After the Chechen-born grappling maestro's win over Robert Whittaker last weekend, Dricus du Plessis' coach shared his reaction to the victory and called for a fight at UFC 312 next year.

In an Instagram post, coach Morne Visser lauded Ilia Topuria for beating Max Holloway and wrote:

"3 athletes that started their UFC careers around the same time @tomaspinallofficial @dricusduplessis @iliatopuria 3 world champions, that will stay champions for a really long time! Massive congrats to @iliatopuria on a phenomenal performance. We want Khamzat [Chimaev] next in February. Prepare to be amazed once again."