Khamzat Chimaev does not approve of athletes being held accountable for their political leanings.
The UFC welterweight standout, who was born in the occupied republic of Chechnya within the Russian Federation but primarily resides in Sweden, published a recent Instagram post voicing support for his “Motherland.” Chimaev also spoke out against the general politicization of athletes, especially in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We are athletes, each of us is a patriot of our Motherland,” Chimaev said in an Instagram post accompanied by a training montage from the lead-up to his fight with Gilbert Burns.