Ramzan Kadyrov personally greeted Khamzat Chimaev at an airport runway in Chechnya after the fighter returned home with his newly won UFC middleweight championship belt. The meeting followed Chimaev’s unanimous decision victory over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16, 2025.
Ramzan Kadyrov Meets Khamzat Chimaev After Historic UFC Middleweight Victory
Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic, was among the first to congratulate Chimaev after his title win. In a video message posted to social media, Kadyrov described the 31-year-old fighter as a descendant of historical Chechen leaders Sheikh Mansur and Baysangur, who fought against the Russian Empire during its 19th-century conquest of the North Caucasus.