Khamzat Chimaev has been criticised after posting photos which showed him taking punches from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's teenage sons.
Chimaev has an infamous friendship with the Kadyrov family, having been born in Chechnya before moving to Sweden as a child and since becoming one of its most famous exports. He has made a name for himself in the octagon as a dominant grappling machine who also has knockout power
But in photos shared on social media, he appeared to be taking a beating from Kadyrov's sons during a sparring session. The fighter captioned the post "Brotherly rub", while Ali Kadyrov took to his page to share a photo of the pair training together, under which they called each other "brother".
This isn't the first time that Chimaev has enjoyed a sparring session with the Chechen leader's sons while in his homeland as a seemingly invited guest of Kadyrov's. He has also been seen sparring with the man himself, in comical sessions where he pretends to struggle, and even allows himself to be taken down and submitted.
Last January, Chimaev was gifted a Mercedes Benz by Kadyrov but the UFC star crashed it just three months later. In April, he was first seen sparring with the Chechen leaders' sons, around the same time as the ridiculous sparring video emerged.
DON'T MISS:Conor McGregor's rival suggests UFC star was second choice for Hollywood film role
Israel Adesanya shows off ripped physique ahead of UFC title defence
Doctor Mike explains why he chose to face MMA veteran in professional debut
Fans slammed the photos posted today as "embarrassing" for Chimaev, whose stock with fans has lowered considerably after he missed weight for his fight with Nate Diaz at UFC 279 last month by over half-a-stone. He was hastily put into a fight with Kevin Holland at a catchweight which he won quickly, but it did little to quell discontent with his actions during fight week.
Who do you want to see Khamzat Chimaev fight next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Kadyrov, who is known to have a considerable influence on MMA not just in the region but worldwide, has received backlash from LGBT groups around the world for leading anti-gay purges in Chechnya, as well as imposing misogynist policies in the Republic. He is also known as a close ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Kadyrov founded the Akhmat MMA fight club, a gym at which current UFC fighters such as Maxim Grishin, Albert Duraev and Magomed Ankalaev train. A number of former UFC champions such as Chris Weidman and were hosted by Kadyrov at an Akhmat MMA event in 2015.
It remains to be seen what the next move will be in the octagon for Chimaev, with both welterweight and middleweight gold seemingly on the horizon. He is a highly-ranked 170lb contender, but has issues making weight and would need to wait until next summer at the earliest for a shot, while he would likely need one more middleweight win to get the next shot at 185lb.
READ MORE: Pro-Putin hawk dances for joy as Russia pummels Ukraine in 24-hour horror assault
