The apparent ties between UFC fighters and Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov are on the radar of the U.S. State Department.
Kadyrov, who is accused of being responsible for anti-gay purges in Chechnya, notoriously has used the UFC’s platform for sportswashing in recent years – and that isn’t lost on the U.S. government.
“The Department of State is aware of Kadyrov’s association with Chechen UFC. fighters,” a State Department official familiar with the investigations of Kadyrov’s business dealings said in a statement to the New York Times. According to the Times, the statement is the “first direct mention of athletes with the UFC having ties to Kadyrov.”
In response to Cejudo, Gaethje and Usman’s visit, a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to MMA Junkie: “We reiterate that U.S. citizens should not travel to Russia and those in Russia should depart immediately. Our Russia Travel Advisory remains at ‘Level 4 – Do not travel’ due to a number of factors