The Eagle and the Chechen Wolf  

Karim Zidan delves into the ongoing relationship between Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov and UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, as well as the potential for the dictator to use him for political gain.

Just days removed from a dominant submission victory against Conor McGregor at UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov visited Chechnya to attend a banquet hosted by Ramzan Kadyrov in his honour. Dressed in a modest tracksuit, the UFC lightweight champion arrived without his usual entourage of UFC teammates and sat at the head of the table alongside the Chechen dictator. The two men posed for photos and celebrated the occasion as though they were brothers.

The banquet took place in Kadyrov’s palace in Grozny, a city he rebuilt after two catastrophic wars with Russia, with the support of the Kremlin. Once the feast was complete, Kadyrov rose and gave a speech proclaiming Nurmagomedov a role model for young men throughout the North Caucasus. He then made the UFC fighter an honourary citizen of Chechnya — the same political stunt he used on Egypt and Liverpool soccer star Mo Salah — and awarded him with a distinctive pin during the ceremony.

After accepting honourary citizenship, Nurmagomedov was led outside into the palace courtyard, where he was gifted with a new Mercedes Benz W222 by Kadyrov to mark his victory against McGregor. In return, Nurmagomedov gave Kadyrov a Reebok shirt branded with his logo. Video footage posted by Kadyrov showed Nurmagomedov get into the car and driving off into the night.

While a UFC fighter rubbing shoulders with the Chechen warlord has become a common occurrence, his continued relationship with Nurmagomedov — strengthened further following his victory against McGregor — potentially carries far more significance. In the past, Kadyrov associated with celebrities and famous fighters which had the effect of whitewashing his reputation as a vicious tyrant and rebrand himself as a magnanimous, sports-loving leader. While he achieved varied success with such soft power tactics, his interest in Nurmagomedov can not only be seen as a public relations stunt but also a means of geopolitical diplomacy with neighbouring Dagestan.

Chechnya’s Dangerous Expansionism

On September 26, 2018, Kadyrov and Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, the leader of Ingushetia, Chechnya’s western neighbour, signed an agreement securing the border between the two Russian republics, which had technically not been confirmed since 1992. The deal, which was promoted as a “historic” agreement by both Kadyrov and Yevkurov, involved a transfer of up to 10% of Ingush territory to Chechnya. While the Ingush government claimed that the transferred land “will only affect mountainous wooded areas,” unprecedented protests broke out once it became clear that Ingushetia had relinquished a significant portion of land to Chechnya.

Approximately 50 people took part in a demonstration in Sunzha, while more than 100 protested in Magas, Ingushetia’s capital. The civil demonstrations would only grow stronger over the next 13 days as tens of thousands joined the protests. Local law enforcement and security officers joined the demonstrations and preventing riot police from neighbouring republics from interfering with the protests. Several parliamentarians even claimed that their vote on the land deal between Chechnya and Ingushetia was falsified. This opposition grew stronger still when Ingushetia’s government proposed an amendment that would change referendum procedures in Ingushetia, thus effectively barring the public from voting on the land deal.

Despite the opposition, Yevkurov continued to defend his decision to sign the agreement with Kadyrov. This led to calls for his resignation that continue to persist to this day. Kadyrov decided to intervene, first threatening the protestors by calling on them to “come to my land and have just one protest.” He then visited Ingushetia to demand an apology from the Ingush elder who insulted him. While the situation did not escalate further, it highlighted Kadyrov’s aggressive approach to handling dissent in neighbouring republics.

In December 2018, the Russian Constitutional Court ruled that the border agreement between Ingushetia and Chechnya was legal. The ruling was final and could not be appealed. Despite the court’s decision, protests continued to take place in Ingushetia, including as recently as March 26, 2019, where approximately 10,000 protestors gathered to demand Yevkurov’s resignation.

In light of Kadyrov’s successful annexation of Ingush land, the dictator appears to have set his sights on Chechnya’s Eastern border with Dagestan. In November 2018, a map appeared on Chechnya’s parliamentary website that showed areas of Dagestan placed within Chechnya’s borders. On December 7, 2018, the Head of Dagestan, Vladimir Vasilyev, revealed that he and Kadyrov plan to discuss border relations between their two republics, which raised concern among local Dagestanis as to whether history was about to repeat itself. Vasilyev later vowed not to repeat the “Ingush scenario” during the negotiations over eight disputed territories with Chechnya, though it appears they are heading in a similar direction.

In March 2019, Chechnya reportedly registered parts of Dagestan as portions of their own territory. The Chechen government added nine disputed areas to the cadastral register without consulting their Dagestani counterparts, which forced the Dagestani parliament to issue an official protest against the “unilateral” demarcation of the two republics. As a result, the border demarcation between Chechnya and Dagestan was suspended in April.

Kadyrov’s ongoing struggle to expand Chechnya’s border with Dagestan will likely be far more complicated than his annexation of Ingush land for several reasons. Unlike Ingushetia, Dagestan is comprised of several ethnicities, including the Avars, who are the largest and most influential ethnic group within the republic. Tensions have flared between Avars and Chechens as recently as 2017, when a mass brawl took place between the two groups in Novolak and the neighbouring Kazbekov district. Kadyrov has also had a tense relationship with former Khasavyurt mayor Saigidpasha Umakhanov, a fellow strongman who ruled over Khasavyurt for nearly 20 years. Given that the city has a large Chechen population, Umakhanovand Kadyrov have repeatedly clashed over the years as the Chechen dictator attempted to increase his influence in the region.

In order to expand his influence in the region, Kadyrov brought in some of the city’s Chechen elites, including Buvaysar Saitiev, arguably the greatest freestyle wrestler of all time, to join his government. Saitievis the first Chechen native to win a gold medal at the Olympics and is considered a national hero. His career span between 1994 to 2008 and included six World Championships, three Olympic gold medals, six European titles, and four Russian championships. He was also on the coaching staff for the Russian wrestling team ahead of the London Games in 2012.

Due to his remarkable achievements over a 14-year span, Buvaisar was seen as a hero amongst Chechens, as well as other regions in the North Caucasus. Though of Chechen ancestry, Saitiev was born in Khasavyurt, Dagestan – a region where Chechens are the second largest population (28%). HIs heritage made him a useful instrument for Kadyrov’s geopolitical gain, which is why he promoted him to the position of advisor to the Head of the Chechen Republic.

”I was invited by the head of the region – a man who is my friend – Ramzan Kadyrov,” Saitiev said. “A very energetic, bright politician. Being next to him is not boring. I am an adviser. I was very fond of people in Chechnya, and I’m very comfortable with where I feel like myself.”

Shortly thereafter, Saitiev ran for a parliamentarian role in the State Duma as a representative for Khasavyurt, a city that Kadyrov desperately wanted more influence in. He would go on to win the seat but it did little to expand Kadyrov’s influence in Khasavyurt. Therefore, the Chechen dictator has set his sights on an even more influential athletes amongst Dagestan’s youth: Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Khabib’s relationship with Kadyrov, a Tool for Diplomacy

Over the past few months, there has been a noticeable shift in the public relationship between Nurmagomedov and Kadyrov. While the two North Caucasus natives have always maintained friendly relations, that bond appears to have strengthened since Nurmagomedov’s victory over Conor McGregor last October.

Prior to his submission win against the Irishman at UFC 229, Nurmagomedov had only made a handful of appearances in Chechnya, three of which were at the behest of the Chechen dictator. However, since his dominant victory eight months ago, Nurmagomedov has visited Kadyrov’s palace on five separate occasions, including a trip in May 2019 to attend a Ramadan iftar (evening meal) with Kadyrov. During each of the visits, Nurmagomedov posed for a photo op with the Chechen leader and was usually honoured with a gift of some sort.

During one of those recent trips to Chechnya, Nurmagomedov and his father, Abdulmanap, were gifted expensive cars by the Chechen dictator. it was a typical gesture from Kadyrov, who was known for handing out expensive cars to his favourite fighters. However, when Nurmagomedov took to social media to thank Kadyrov for his generosity, he also noted that the Chechen leader helped many families in Dagestan and that he knows Kadyrov has done “a lot of worthy deeds in relation to the people of Dagestan.” In March 2019, less than one month removed from his post thanking Kadyrov for the car, Nurmagomedov once again promoted the Chechen dictator by alluding to his alleged importance to the republic of Dagestan.

“Thank you very much Brother @ za_kadyrova_95eng for taking part in the many troubles of Dagestan, this is not the first time that you are helping Dagestan. May Allah give you a long life and may good fortune accompany you in everything. Each person of our Republics, regardless of work or social status, must do at least something to strengthen the brotherly relations between our peoples – Chechnya and Dagestan.”

Taking into consideration that Nurmagomedov had never referenced Dagestan when speaking about Kadyrov in the past, his choice of words were intriguing, as it hinted at an ulterior motive behind their reaffirmed relationship. One of Kadyrov’s ambitious political aspirations is to expand Chechnya’s borders, which would mean reclaiming land from neighbours Ingushetia and Dagestan. While the dictator has already negotiated an official exchange of land with Ingushetia, no such agreement is in place for Dagestan.

Speaking to his fans on social media, Nurmagomedov took to social media this week to discuss the suspended border demarcation between Chechnya and Dagestan, calling on both sides to reach an agreement.

“I have a question for all who are concerned about the situation regarding the lands on the border with Chechnya: has there ever been a fixed and clear border between our fraternal peoples? As I know, the fellow countrymen living there on the border knew approximately who had what territory. And now, when we began to set boundaries, respectively, dividing us on a subconscious level, we split, and in this split, I see the guilty on both sides. We must reckon with the people, and we must collect people and share plans with the people. We have power that is responsible for this. This is a very difficult situation in which a special approach is needed. My opinion is that everyone needs to get together, both politicians and elders, and residents of this region and solve this problem; meet each other with respect and with love for the sake of Allah. I have always considered and will continue to consider the Chechens as brothers; for this purpose, it is enough just to look into the history. May Allah guide us on the true path and give us patience and correct understanding in this troubled time.”

In light of Kadyrov’s political ambitions to expand Chechnya’s borders, it seems that the Chechen dictator is angling to employ the UFC champion as a tool for geopolitical diplomacy. By associating with Nurmagomedov, Kadyrov is effectively rubbing shoulders with one of the most popular athletes in Russia and arguably the single most recognizable face in Dagestan. Nurmagomedov’s following also stretches far beyond the borders of the Russian Federation, expanding across the world where he is seen as one of the most influential Muslim athletes of this generation.

By spending time with Nurmagomedov, Kadyrov is rebranding himself as a Chechen leader who is supportive of Dagestan, as well as its people, its athletes, and its interests. By honouring Nurmagomedov with Chechen citizenship, the dictator is co-opting the UFC fighter into his tribe, making a public showing of the fact that Nurmagomedov — a Dagestani Avar — is now also a Chechen citizen.

Though Nurmagomedov is unlikely to play a direct role in the border demarcation between Chechnya and Dagestan, his decision to speak out on the political situation, as well as his support for Kadyrov during this tense period between the neighbouring republics, will not be without its consequences.