Tim Kennedy questions why it’s fine for UFC fighters to train Ramzan Kadyrov while James Krause remains banned
Tim Kennedy, a former UFC, WEC, and Strikeforce fighter is not pleased to learn that some of the top UFC fighters are now training with Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen Republic. Kadyrov’s rule has been plagued by allegations of torture, extrajudicial killings, and disappearances. It’s sufficient that they’ve been labelled “crimes against humanity” by Human Rights Watch.
A handful of UFC fighters are currently training alongside Ramzan Kadyrov’s 15-year-old son and entourage in Thailand, further emphasizing the dictator’s growing influence on the sport. https://t.co/6KAhR4YyPM
— Karim Zidan (@ZidanSports) February 5, 2023
Through his social media accounts, Kennedy expressed his displeasure with welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev’s decision to train with Chechen leader and Russian politician Ramzan Kadyrov.
Among professional fighters, Kennedy is one of the few who has also served in the United States Army. He is a decorated veteran who received numerous medals for his service, including the Army’s Bronze Star.
“Let me get this right… It’s totally fine that the UFC controls what a fighter wears on his shorts, whether or not they train with James Kraus, or what they do on their social media, but it’s totally fine for them to train with a terrorist.”
Let me get this right… It’s totally fine that the UFC controls what a fighter wears on his shorts, whether or not they train with James Kraus, or what they do on their social media, but it’s totally fine for them to train with a terrorist. https://t.co/ZPXPlrHdij
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) January 30, 2023
Russian MMA fighter who sought Ramzan Kadyrov’s assistance dies violently
A mixed-martial-arts (MMA) prospect was discovered dead on a train from Moscow to Vladikavkaz. Just 25 years old, Georgiy Gagloev was a novice in the grappling and striking departments, having trained in mixed martial arts (MMA) on a local level.
His aunt unexpectedly vanished on her way to the airport last year, and he begged Chechen tyrant Ramzan Kadyrov to help him find her.
Russian state-affiliated news agency tass.ru reported that the fighter’s body was in an abnormal state. There is a suggestion on the page that his death was “violent,” which would point to murder.
When Gagloev’s aunt went missing, he previously contacted the Chechen leader and the government.
In light of Islam’s prohibition on fortune telling, the practise of which Georgiy Gagloev’s aunt engaged, this art form was outlawed in the Muslim-dominated republic of Chechnya. Gagloev acknowledged in a video posted on YouTube that his aunt was a fortune teller and that he was aware that such activity was forbidden by their faith. But he stood behind her, arguing that she had acted similarly in Ossetia.
Russian MMA fighter Georgiy Gagloev, who publicly appealed Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov to help find his missing aunt in Chechnya, was found dead on a train travelling from Moscow. Reports suggest his death was "violent." pic.twitter.com/QCbNOdtHJu
— Karim Zidan (@ZidanSports) January 15, 2023
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