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How the ACB/Akhmat merger expands Kadyrov’s influence in MMA

Several weeks ago, Chechnya’s strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov announced that his MMA promotion, World Fighting Championships of Akhmat (WFCA), would merge with fellow Chechen promotion Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB) in the coming months. According to the dictator, the goal behind the amalgamation is to secure a larger percentage of the sport’s global market share.

Speaking to local journalists, Kadyrov explained that the merger “is a very good indicator for our region and for Russia as a whole. We want to unite with Berkut. We will unite the two leagues. If we succeed, we will be second in the world.