Khamzat Chimaev is one of the most popular stars in the UFC. The undefeated fighter has dominated all his opponents, except Gilbert Burns in his MMA career. His fighting prowess combined with his intense and at times bizarre personality has made him a fan favorite.

Dana White recently revealed that the Chechen was one of the fighters fans pestered him about the most. And while he is very popular, he also comes under fire for his shenanigans. One issue is his closeness to the dictator of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, to whose son he gave a shout-out on social media recently.

Khamzat Chimaev shouts out Dustum Kadyrov on Instagram

Khamzat Chimaev is officially a Swedish national, but hails from the Russian Republic of Chechnya. The republic is headed by its dictator Kadyrov, who is often criticized for his autocratic rule and a litany of alleged human rights abuses.

‘Borz’ is close to the dictator and has posted pictures with him and his family before. He even trains with Kadyrov on occasion. And he has recently shouted out Dustum Kadyrov, the dictator’s son. In an Instagram Story on his account, he uploaded a picture of Dustum along with a short caption in Russian. “I gave you a bear brother,” Chimaev wrote. Kadyrov has seven children, and Chimaev has trained his two eldest sons, Dustum and Ali.

Chimaev has openly flaunted his friendship with the Kadyrov family before and fans have given him a piece of their mind for the same. Regardless, ‘Borz’ seems to be minding his own business, and that involves his upcoming fight against Paulo Costa at UFC 294.

Chimaev to face Paulo Costa after a year out of the Octagon

Chimaev last fought Kevin Holland at UFC 279 last year, and beat the American easily via a first-round submission. Recently, the UFC announced that he will take on number 6 ranked middleweight Paulo Costa as the co-main event for UFC 294 on October 21 in the UAE. The two have already expressed a mutual dislike for each other.

Read More – “Costa a Dead Man”: Khamzat Chimaev’s Latest Sparring Pictures With MMA “Twin” Leaves the Fans Worried for Paulo Costa 

Chimaev has even promised to not only beat the Brazilian but also to make him cry in their bout. “I’m going to go and smash this guy and make him cry,” he said. The Chechnyan has also claimed that “nobody likes” Costa and that even the Brazilian fans are supporting him over their compatriot.

Costa is also relishing the opportunity to fight Chimaev. He told Ariel Helwani in a recent interview that he is confident of beating the 29-year-old in what he considers to be the latter’s ‘home’. Fans, of course, have been eagerly waiting for Chimaev’s next fight, and are excited to see him take on the former title contender. Who do you think will win in the fight between Chimaev and Costa? Let us know in the comments section below.

Watch this Story: Is the Khamzat Chimaev vs Paulo Costa Fight Happening on UFC 294?