Christmas is all about holiday cheer, but this holiday season saw the culmination of a horrific tragedy that claimed many lives. Khamzat Chimaev broke the piece of horrific news about a devastating accident of a passenger plane that crashed with 70 people on board in Kazakhstan. He took to Instagram and expressed his condolences writing a note that said, “I express my condolences to the families and friends of the deceased, may Allah give you patience! May the Almighty grant healing to the victims according to His mercy.”

The Chechen combatant has always shown his solidarity towards fans from Eastern European and Central Asian countries. This is also a sensitive time for a lot of MMA fans in Kazakhstan and he made sure to make them feel heard and seen through this message. Unfortunately, dozens of people perished in this passenger plane crash. Thankfully authorities in Azerbaijan, where the flight originated, said that there were at least 30 survivors.

Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 caught fire as it endeavored to make an emergency landing near the Kazakh city of Aktau. The plane was going to Grozny in Russia but the flight was pivoted due to severe fog, the airline told the BBC. Chimaev has also shown his support for Kazakhstan previously as well, where during 2023, he tried to calm a burning rivalry developing with Kazakh fighter Shavkat Rakhmanov. The two countries sit on opposite sides of the Caspian Sea and it is not surprising that there would be some rivalry between the fighters and the fans. However, he strove to bring the two countries together ever since he was not in competition with Rakhmonov anymore.

Now he is again showing his solidarity towards the country after this devastating news. Even the fans came forward in the comments to show their condolences.

MMA fans join Khamzat Chimaev in showing solidarity to victims of plane crash

The message by Chimaev and a black-and-white picture of the incident overwhelmed a lot of his fans. They expressed their emotions through the comments and urged the Russian to help out as much as he could. One follower thanked ‘Borz’ and said, “Thanks for your support champion [Khamzat]”, while another expressed their sorrow stating, “We are shocked and mourn with you. MAY ALLAH HAVE MERCY ON ELOSIN.”

Another follower was moved by the middleweight stars’ empathy and wrote, “Thank you for your beautiful prayers, [Khamzat], may Allah help you,” while another netizen shared their prayers with the victims and said, “May God have mercy on you.”

Another MMA buff was curious as to what happened and enquired, “Is this the plane that crashed today and killed 64 people?” to which a fan replied, “The plane flew from Baku to Grozny. 38 citizens of Azerbaijan, 16 citizens of Russia, 2 citizens of Kazakhstan, and several citizens of Kyrgyzstan.” One desperate parent asked for help from the middleweight star and wrote, “[Khamzat]! A child is dying! The little boy is my son Volodya! Help!”

Chimaev has always called for peace and solidarity for Kazakhstan and Chechnya.  “Peace be upon you — Chechens and Kazakhs have always been brothers,” Chimaev wrote on social media in the past. “I wish you all health happiness love prosperity, may the almighty this month of Ramadan bring you lots of Barakat. In every nation some people are not far-minded, we wish them well too.”

He is also known to be extremely kind and do a lot of charity work. He has also been bravely vocal about the plight of thousands of innocent people especially children who were killed in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. After the victory over Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 he conveyed the message of spreading peace and focusing on the welfare of children worldwide. He even participated in a charity grappling event with popular YouTuber Mohammed Hijab during his visit to the UK. He encouraged the audience to contribute to the Just Giving page for the people of Palestine.

So if someone asks for help, our Chechen brother is always there. What are your thoughts on this devastating news and how the UFC fighter reacted? Join the conversation by sharing your thoughts in the comments below.