Former UFC light heavyweight fighter Abdul-Kerim Edilov, an ally of Ramzan Kadyrov, has died at the age of 31.
Mixed martial artists who have links to the Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov have come under fire as of late. Kadyrov has faced criticism for his alleged stance on LGBTQ people and human rights abuses. He has been accused by some of trying to use MMA for sports washing his public standing globally.
Ex-UFC fighter & Ramzan Kadyrov ally Abdul-Kerim Edilov found dead
Chechen opposition movements 1ADAT and Niyso first reported the news of Abdul-Kerim Edilov’s passing on Telegram. Edilov was found dead on the morning of Dec. 29.
Edilov started his professional career in Mar. 2010. He continued competing on the regional circuit and established himself as a promising prospect in the early 2010s. His most notable opponent was former UFC light heavyweight king Jiri Prochazka, whom he faced in Jun. 2013 at Fight Nights – Battle of Moscow 12. Edilov handily dispatched Prochazka in the first round with a rear-naked choke submission.
He went on to rack up an 11-fight win streak which included a fight under the UFC banner. Editor took on Bojan Mihajlovic in Sep. 2017 at UFC Fight Night 115 and scored an impressive second-round finish by TKO.
Edilov’s ties with Kadyrov
Although things looked bright for Edilov, he chose to step away from the octagon to support Ramzan Kadyrov and his family. He got promoted to his first official government rank as the Chief of Staff for Kadyrov in Dec. 2021.
Edilov went on to become the Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya. He chose to move on from the role and filed his resignation last month.
According to Karim Zidan of Bloody Elbow, the circumstances surrounding Edilov’s death remain unclear. Edilov seemingly had a falling out with Kadyrov. His involvement in Kadyrov’s life and his kids’ training downsized significantly.
Ramzan Kadyrov is yet to comment on the news.
