When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ramzan Kadyrov – the strongman leader of Chechnya and a close ally of Vladimir Putin – gathered his troops in the main square of the region’s capital, Grozny, to signal his readiness to join the war.
Positioned on a dais overlooking the crowd, Kadyrov stood against a backdrop of the most powerful men in Chechnya. Among them was Abuzayed Vismuradov, the dictator’s right-hand man who was the target of sanctions by the United States government in 2019 for his role in Chechnya’s purge of sexual minorities. Vismuradov also happens to be in charge of Kadyrov’s mixed martial arts fight club – an entity also the target of sanctions by the US Treasury.
Behind Vismuradov stood Abdul-Kerim Edilov, an MMA fighter who competed in UFC before being elevated to the rank of deputy prime minister in Chechnya. Though not among those deployed to fight in Ukraine, Edilov stood armed with a machine gun, a tactical vest and a skull cap with the phrase “Akhmat Power”, the battle cry used by Kadyrov loyalists, emblazoned upon it.
He later shared footage of the gathering on his now-deleted Instagram page, which included the caption: We are prepared to live and ready to die by the way of Kadyrov.
The statement was more prophetic than Edilov could have anticipated.
On 29 December 2022, Chechen activists reported that Edilov had died suddenly that day but that the circumstances surrounding his death were unclear. The fighter’s passing was confirmed by fellow Chechen opposition movement 1ADAT, which shared a brief voice message passed along by an anonymous contributor noting that a commemoration would take place that morning in Edilov’s native village.
Edilov’s death drew immediate suspicion. The fighter enjoyed a close relationship with Kadyrov, who is known for human rights abuses that include forced disappearances, summary executions, and regular purges of sexual minorities.
And though Edilov was a member of Kadyrov’s inner circle, he had reportedly fallen out of favor with the dictator a few months before his demise.
Edilov, 31, was once regarded as Kadyrov’s most promising fighter. When the dictator decided to start his own MMA fight club and competitive league in 2014, Edilov became one of his key representatives. He headlined several of Kadyrov’s early events before signing with the UFC in 2015. However, Edilov’s debut was delayed until September 2017 due to a 15-month suspension for testing positive for meldonium, a prohibited substance. He eventually made his UFC debut in the Netherlands, where he outclassed his opponent in front of an entourage of Kadyrov’s men seated in the front row.
Despite the impressive win, Edilov did not compete for the UFC again. Instead, he focused on a bigger prize: becoming a faithful servant to Kadyrov’s family.
Over the course of the next few years, Edilov gradually transformed from a full-time fighter into a glorified babysitter for Kadyrov’s three teenage sons. He trained them to become fighters, attended Qur’an classes with them, and guarded them from prying eyes. His commitment earned him favor with Kadyrov, who showered him with praise and lavish gifts, such as luxury cars and expensive watches.
In November 2021, Edilov was given his first official government position when he became Kadyrov’s chief of staff. Three months later, he was promoted to deputy prime minister, with a focus on youth policy and sports.
“In his new post, Abdul-Kerim Edilov faces exceptionally complex and responsible tasks,” Kadyrov said in a press release announcing Edilov’s promotion. “I am sure that he will fully justify the trust placed in him.”
Edilov’s success, however, only lasted a few months. On 15 September 2022, Chechen dissident Tumso Abdurakhmanov claimed that Edilov had been “convicted of drug use” and that he had been tortured as a result. Other Chechen activists followed up with reports that Murad Agmerzoev, one of the bodyguards for Kadyrov’s children and a longtime friend of Edilov, had been executed on Kadyrov’s orders for allegedly supplying drugs to the dictator’s entourage.
Edilov was never seen in public again. His personal Instagram account, once filled with pictures of Kadyrov and his children, was also deleted. Then, on 23 November 2022, Chechnya’s official government website announced that the former UFC fighter had resigned from his role as deputy prime minister at “his own initiative.” His death was reported five weeks later.
While the circumstances surrounding Edilov’s death remain a mystery, there is little doubt that the fighter had been exiled from Kadyrov’s inner circle in the months leading up to his sudden passing. Despite serving as a deputy prime minister, Edilov’s death has not been acknowledged by Kadyrov, his government, or the legion of fighters at his employ. Edilov’s brother, who serves as Chechnya’s minister of sports has also not been seen in public since December 2022.
Mansur Sadulaev, the founder of Swedish-based Chechen human rights organization Vayfond, claims Kadyrov’s silence should be seen as evidence of his guilt.
“Of course, we believe that it was Kadyrov [or someone on his orders] who killed Edilov,” Sadulaev told the Guardian. “We believe so because if Edilov had died in a different way or had been killed by anyone other than Kadyrov loyalists, then Kadyrov himself would have been furious and would have expressed his condolences over Edilov’s death.
“We know very well how Kadyrov behaves in such circumstances,” Sadulaev continued. “He’s too predictable. And to be fair, he’s not shy of crime.”
Kadyrov’s press secretary did not respond to a request for comment on Sadulaev’s allegation that Kadyrov and the Chechen government were involved in Edilov’s death.
Meanwhile, Kadyrov has found a new nanny for his sons in the form of Chechen-born UFC star Khamzat Chimaev. The undefeated fighter is routinely pictured hanging out with the teenagers in Chechnya and on trips to Dubai, where Kadyrov is believed to have a home in Palm Jumeirah. Chimaev also embraced a coaching role with the teenagers and often posted photographs on social media of their training sessions at Kadyrov’s private gym. One photo from 22 June included Edilov posing alongside Kadyrov and his sons. It was the last time that the now-deceased fighter was ever pictured next to Kadyrov or his family.
While Edilov’s death remains a mystery, his sudden rise and mysterious fall should be viewed as a cautionary tale for fighters who continue to associate with the brutal tyrant.
Chimaev, 28, is among those who ingratiating themselves with the Kadyrov clan by helping the dictator’s 15-year-old son, Ali, become a professional fighter. He coached and cornered Ali through his first fight at the Kadyrov-owned Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA) 150 event in December 2022 – a fight that was obviously fixed in the teenager’s favor.
Now situated into the role previously reserved for Edilov, Chimaev has continued to train with Kadyrov’s children on a regular basis, especially Ali, whom he calls his “brother”. The UFC fighter recently posted a picture on his Instagram account that showed him training with the teenager at the renowned Tiger Muay Thai training facility in Thailand.
“If your brother is nearby, then your enemies will fall like hail,” read the caption.
