Chimaev’s manager refutes rumor that UFC fighter’s passport was seized in Russia

Khamzat Chimaev’s manager has refuted reports that the UFC fighter had his Russian passport seized during a recent trip to his native country. The…

By: Karim Zidan | 8 months ago
Chimaev’s manager refutes rumor that UFC fighter’s passport was seized in Russia
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

Khamzat Chimaev’s manager has refuted reports that the UFC fighter had his Russian passport seized during a recent trip to his native country.

The report, which was published by Brazilian outlet Combate, claimed that Chimaev had his passport “confiscated” in St. Petersburg, where he was transiting before catching a second flight to Chechnya. Though it remains unclear why Chimaev’s passport may have been seized, Combate noted that Russia “has been recruiting soldiers for the war in Ukraine.”

Combate also claimed that Chimaev, who currently resides in Sweden, is attempting to solicit the help of the Swedish government in order to secure his exit.

However, according to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Chimaev’s manager Majdi Shammas denied the reports that the fighter was stuck in Russia. Shammas added that his fighter is not facing any travel restrictions.

Chimaev’s social media accounts are filled with pictures from his recent trip to Chechnya. The UFC fighter visited Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of Chechnya accused of well-documented human rights abuses, including forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and state-sponsored purges of LGBTQ+ peoples. He also participated in training sessions with the dictator’s teenage sons, and visited the Akhmat MMA fight club, an entity facing U.S. Treasury sanctions.

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About the author
Karim Zidan
Karim Zidan

Karim Zidan is a investigative reporter and feature writer focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. He has written for BloodyElbow since 2014 and has served as an associate editor since 2016. He also writes for The New York Times and The Guardian. Karim has been invited to speak about his work at numerous universities, including Princeton, and was a panelist at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival and the Oslo Freedom Forum. He also participated in the United Nations counter-terrorism conference in 2021. His reporting on Ramzan Kadyrov’s involvement in MMA, much of which was done for Bloody Elbow, has led to numerous award nominations, and was the basis of an award-winning HBO Real Sports documentary.

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