Seeking a return to American soil, UFC middleweight star Khamzat Chimaev made a significant announcement last month from the UAE: “It is my honor and privilege to be able to represent this beautiful nation both as an athlete and a citizen. I would like to thank the UAE for its support, and I will do my best to make this country proud of me. Special thanks to His Highness Sheikh @mohamedbinzayed and Sheikh Hamdan for the trust and opportunity.”

This announcement officially confirmed that Chimaev had renounced his Chechen citizenship. But what led to this decision? As always, MMA discourse remained divided, with many attributing Chimaev’s alleged U.S. ban to his close ties with Ramzan Kadyrov—the Chechen dictator notorious for his brutal suppression of human rights and minorities in Chechnya. Kadyrov, widely recognized as a war criminal, has long been a controversial figure, and Chimaev’s association with him has sparked intense debate within the MMA community.

However, the 185lbs juggernaut rubbished these claims last year stating, “I don’t think so. People say a lot of different s–t things… I’ve been to the U.S. and can come to the U.S., but a lot of s–t things have happened in my life with being sick and surgeries, you know.” Given that the Middle East is closer to Chimaev’s homeland, his move to the UAE may have been a more convenient choice. In addition, UFC CEO Dana White also shut down the speculation, citing the 185fer’s close friendship with former U.S. President Donald Trump as further proof that no issues were preventing Chimaev from entering the country.

However, within a couple of weeks after renouncing his Russian citizenship, Ushatayka, which hosts the 2025 Russian P4P rankings in collaboration with other journalists and analysts, removed Chimaev from Russia’s official pound-for-pound list. Red Corner MMA recently highlighted the move on Instagram, reporting: “Khamzat Chimaev has been removed from the Russian pound-for-pound rankings following the news that he has obtained United Arab Emirates citizenship. The monthly P4P rating is hosted by @Ushatayka_TM and is determined by voting among the country’s top MMA experts and journalists.”

Moreover, the UAE resident wasn’t the only fighter affected—the Russian P4P rankings for January also excluded UFC middleweight contender Sharaputdin Magomedov, who suffered a unanimous decision loss to Michael ‘Venom’ Page earlier this month at UFC Saudi Arabia.

Despite these changes, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev remains at the top, holding onto the #1 spot on Russia’s pound-for-pound list. However, despite rejecting the alleged reason for his apparent absence, Chimaev remains a subject of criticism from fellow middleweights.

Sean Strickland slams Khamzat Chimaev over ties with Chechen dictator

Although Khamzat Chimaev has rubbished claims of being Kadyrov’s puppet, his past associations continue to follow him. This week, UFC 312 was set to be a showdown between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. However, during the pre-fight press conference, ‘Tarzan’ unexpectedly shifted the focus to ‘Borz’—his former Xtreme Couture teammate—despite their alliance having ended long ago.

During the event, the American didn’t hold back, taking shots at Khamzat Chimaev in front of the media: “Let’s talk about this fcking guy. I keep hearing ‘Chimaev this, Chimaev that,’ but what do history and facts say about Chimaev? You guys are media, you should know this. Chimaev fled Chechnya with his family because of an oppressive, warlord dictator who killed people indiscriminately… The leash gets way too tight. The leash gets way too tight, and you know what? I think the U.S. government looks at him like a terrorist now. Why? Because people get murdered all the time in Chechnya, and they completely violate human rights.”

Sean Strickland’s comments also alluded to the UAE resident’s recent decision to renounce his Russian citizenship and adopt UAE nationality. With his past now behind him, the focus shifts to Dana White and the promotion, as fans eagerly anticipate an official announcement for the highly anticipated middleweight clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus Du Plessis. One thing is clear—this is a fight the MMA world won’t want to miss. Stay tuned for the latest updates.