as Adam Delimkhanov. He embraced Makhachev like a brother and congratulated him on the victory. He also celebrated with Nurmagomedov following the champ’s victory, though the UFC managed to keep that off their broadcast.

Kadyrov’s appearance at the UFC 242 show is yet another example of the Chechen dictator using sports as a tool for political gain. This time, however, he tried to strike two birds with the same stone.

Russia’s Sunni Muslim Envoy in the Gulf

Over the past decade, Ramzan Kadyrov has emerged not only as one of the most influential political figures in Russia, but also as a face representing nearly 20 million Russian Muslims. His republic operates under sharia law — which is unconstitutional according to Russian law — and is home to the two largest mosquesRussia overall. He has also cultivated ties with the United Arab Emirates, including de facto ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, who set up the Zayed Fund in Chechnya to fund local ventures in 2017.

In light of Kadyrov’s increased economic ties to the UAE and its ruling family, it comes as no surprise that the Chechen dictator was seen at the UFC 242 event in the front row alongside the UAE’s Minister of Culture, Youth, and Social Development, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.

Photo by Valery Sharifulin\TASS via Getty Images

This was not the first time that Sheikh Nahyan and Kadyrov had met. The UAE official participated in the celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic, in 2018. He visited the capital at the