World not impressed as Chechen dictator puts children in MMA fights

Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov has received widespread criticism after a local MMA event was broadcast on Russian TV that featured children as young as eight. Billed as exhibitions, the bouts featured professional style walkouts, shirtless kids, in pro MMA gloves, punching and kicking with full force to the face.

The youth participants at Grand Prix Akhmat 2016 included Kadyrov’s sons Akhmad, Eli, and Adam. They all won, two by decision, and one by TKO. The event headliners were all adult professional fighters.

The world was not impressed, mostly.

Fedor Emelianenko, the greatest heavyweight in MMA history, was not impressed. Emelianenko is currently the head of the MMA Union, the governing body of Russian MMA.

What happened at the tournament in Grozny is unacceptable and, moreover, cannot be justified, he wrote on Instagram, as translated by NewsNeck. Needless to say that kids under age of 12 cannot even attend MMA fights [in Russia] as spectators, but here we had little ones as young as eight beating each other up in front of happy adults.

I am outraged by the fact that the head of Chechnya was watching over it. Didn’t [the Chechen] sport minister tell him about the fact that children under 12 cannot participate in MMA under any circumstances?

The government-approved MMA Union mandates that athlete under 21 wear headgear and ankle protection, and requires a top for children under 17.

Vadim Finkelstein, Fedor’s former manager, and the head of M-1 Global was likewise appalled.

I am with Emelianenko on this one, children can participate in the fights, but the relevant rules have to be followed, said Finkelstein.
We are talking about the sport, so all the possible risks must be considered. All young athletes from age 18 to 21 are participating in helmets, but what I saw there was tough and unsafe for kids, thus I really didn’t like it, we will have to work on it.

We have to state that it’s all wrong; kids must be protected. When the time comes, they will be able to participate in the bouts. Why force them now and have them [possibly] injured and unable to do sports in the future. The rules set by the official organization, that Fedor Emelianenko presents today [MMA Union] must be followed.

Russian Deputy Minister of Sport, Pavel Kolobkov told TASS, the largest Russian news agency, that the Russian Sports Ministry will launch an investigation.

Abuzayd Vismuradov, president of the Akhmat Fighting Club which organized the event, argued that fights were of an exhibition nature and only aimed at popularizing the sport in Chechnya.

Long-time fighter Jeff Monson, now a Russian citizen, also defended the bouts.

TV shows us war, murders, death every day; we can see the most negative things broadcasted,” said Monson to the Russian news outlet, RSport. “But when we see sport in which kids are fairly fighting, and shaking hands, hugging and showing respect after the bout I don’t see anything wrong about that.

I think that is the positive side of the sport, so I cannot agree with Emelianenko on this one, although I respect him.”

In Monson’s defense, USA Boxing, the organizing group for the Olympics in the USA, allows 8, 9, and 10-year-olds to box, albeit with headgear, and some restrictions. They cannot be in advancing tournaments for example. And 8-year-olds cannot box with 10-year-olds.

Still, from an injury perspective, the children in the Chechen event did not appear to take more damage than is seen in the USA Boxing PeeWee Division. There was, however, more than the potential for injury that made the event distasteful.

MMA worldwide has come up with a more modern, safer, humane overall rule set than that in use in boxing. Children are everywhere prohibited from competing in MMA; what is wrong with a dictator breaking the rules speaks for itself.

But dictators are little given to repentance. Kadyrov trumpeted his son’s victories on his Social Network account. His 10-year-old son Akhmad showed real masculine character he crowed. I’m sure there are victorious fights ahead.

After this outpouring of criticism, hopefully not until his sons turn 18.