Rumored Chimaev vs Imavov is now being planned for a title fight, early stages

[Alpha_T83]

Well, we lost about 13,000 in Afghanistan so it's clear that the current toll would be dozens times higher. The number I was talking about, 140,000, was verified using obituaries and memorials. Many are still missing, yes. The recruitment is not forcible right now, people are incentivized to join meatwaves by huge payouts. In Moscow they are the highest. That's why the society at large remains mostly indifferent towards casualties.

As much as I like the idea of secondary sanctions for Chimaev, they couldn't even sanction Emelianenko who openly endorsed war and that didn't prevent him from fighting in the US even before Trump's return.

It's 15k casualties in Afghan, and if you look in that image, there are 188 names for Ukraine compared to 3 for Afghan. That's 62.67 times. Multiply 15000 * 62.67 and you get over 900k casualties in Ukraine -- and this image is old and admittedly incomplete because Russia is classifying many dead as "missing". So yes, it's over a million casualties now.

And Fedor slipped through the cracks. Alex Ovechkin is also another piece of human garbage that avoided that fate. But don't worry, the consequences are coming for all Russians. You guys can bury your heads in the sand and buy into Kremlin propaganda, but as they say in the Chernobyl miniseries: "Every lie incurs a debt to the truth. And sooner or later, that debt must be paid."

Also, Putin just:

1) Created year-round mobilization for mandatory military conscription.
2) Allowed for the forcible re-deployment of reservists to "counter Ukraine drones".

That's one step away from allowing those reservists to be sent to Ukraine, and it's coming.

Russian athletes, including many MMA fighters, are going to remain sanctioned for a long time once the world-wide ban on Russian athletes hits. It's only a matter of time as Putin continues to escalate.

 

[Greyscale]

It's 15k casualties in Afghan, and if you look in that image, there are 188 names for Ukraine compared to 3 for Afghan. That's 62.67 times. Multiply 15000 * 62.67 and you get 900k casualties in Ukraine -- and this image is old. So yes, it's over a million casualties now.

And Fedor slipped through the cracks. Alex Ovechkin is also another piece of human garbage that avoided that fate. But don't worry, the consequences are coming for all Russians. You guys can bury your heads in the sand and buy into Kremlin propaganda, but as they say in the Chernobyl miniseries: "Every lie incurs a debt to the truth. And sooner or later, that debt must be paid."

Also, Putin just:

1) Created year-round mobilization for mandatory military conscription.
2) Allowed for the forcible re-deployment of reservists to "counter Ukraine drones".

That's one step away from allowing those reservists to be sent to Ukraine, and it's coming.

Conscripts can't be sent down to war though they are pressured to sign contracts.

Putin's whores will always slip through cracks, I'm afraid. It's ordinary people who will be left to foot the bill.

 

[moosaev]

I am in the beginning stages of worrying that we are in for a HUGE lull in action between now and the White House card

HW and LHW are both looking at potential inactive periods

MW may = 7-8 months away

WW mega fight coming up, that's awesome.

LW = nothing booked and seems Paddy may be getting a shot without a top 5 win. Meh.

FW - anything ?

BW and Fly coming up- ok. Not super intriguing matchups but at least the divisions are moving. I guess I need to try to convince myself to consider Joshua Van a threat.... is he? Pantoja has looked pretty solid.

BWB- probably gonna be a year or more between fights


.....

I have a Sneaking suspicion that we have some UFC shenanigans and interim belts in the future.

Makes it more likely that we get Merab-Umar first half of 2026. Usually during lulls they go to their workhorses, Merab and Poatan. Guessing Merab will fight atleast twice between Jan and July.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Conscripts can't be sent down to war though they are pressured to sign contracts.

Putin's whores will always slip through cracks, I'm afraid. It's ordinary people who will be left to foot the bill.

They can't be sent to war, yet. But the new law allows them to be "partially mobilized" for territorial defense against Ukrainian drones.

I guarantee you if Russia continues to have manpower issues and voluntary contract signings drop, which they are, then we will see Stop-Loss type legislation in 2026 (which will officially allow Russians to force reservists to be converted to contract soldiers, and thus sent to Ukraine).

You're right though, that ordinary Russians will be the ones that suffer most. But I think the majority of Russian athletes, including MMA fighters, will also suffer. It's only a matter of time before EU sanctions ban sports from broadcasting Russian athletes to EU citizens. That would force the UFC to remove all Russian fighters from the roster, or else completely remove the UFC from the EU market, which would be a massive financial hit. CBS wouldn't allow it.

 

[Greyscale]

They can't be sent to war, yet. But the new law allows them to be "partially mobilized" for territorial defense against Ukrainian drones.

I guarantee you if Russia continues to have manpower issues and voluntary contract signings drop, which they are, then we will see Stop-Loss type legislation in 2026 (which will officially allow Russians to force reservists to be converted to contract soldiers, and thus sent to Ukraine).

You're right though, that ordinary Russians will be the ones that suffer most. But I think the majority of Russian athletes, including MMA fighters, will also suffer. It's only a matter of time before EU sanctions ban sports from broadcasting Russian athletes to EU citizens. That would force the UFC to remove all Russian fighters from the roster, or else completely remove the UFC from the EU market, which would be a massive financial hit. CBS wouldn't allow it.

I guess we're about to see the influx of Belarusian, Kazakh, Hungarian and other athletes in this case. Chimaev, for example, can throw away Russian passport and paint himself as a squeaky clean Emirati athlete. And regarding the relationship with Kadyrov, he may point out that many were in bed with him and suffered no consequences.



You seem to be pretty well informed about our matters. Have kin in Ukraine?

 

[Alpha_T83]

I guess we're about to see the influx of Belarusian, Kazakh, Hungarian and other athletes in this case. Chimaev, for example, can throw away Russian passport and paint himself as a squeaky clean Emirati athlete. And regarding the relationship with Kadyrov, he may point out that many were in bed with him and suffered no consequences.

View attachment 1119067

You seem to be pretty well informed about our matters. Have kin in Ukraine?

Nope I'm Canadian but both of my grandparents fought in World Wars, and I feel strongly that we in the west should be fighting to protect freedom and democracy. If I didn't have children, I would have already volunteered to fight for Ukraine.

Without saying more, I am definitely one of the Canadians that [would have], during the world wars, surprised people by heavily contributing to the Geneva Checklist during wartime. I'm proud of that legacy, Canadians fighting like absolute savages to fight against fascists.

You're right that Khamzat could wash his hands of the Russian connection -- IF he stopped associating with Kadyrov -- but immediately going and giving his UFC champ belt to Kadyrov after winning it doesn't help his image, or deny those connections.

 

[Greyscale]

Nope I'm Canadian but both of my grandparents fought in World Wars, and I feel strongly that we in the west should be fighting to protect freedom and democracy. If I didn't have children, I would have already volunteered to fight for Ukraine.

Without saying more, I am definitely one of the Canadians that, during the world wars, surprised people by heavily contributing to the Geneva Checklist during wartime. I'm proud of that legacy, Canadians fighting like absolute savages to fight against fascists.

I expected more of that sentiment from the west tbh. I know a lot of Canadians personally and many of them care much more about Israel/Palestine situation than this war. Even though there are many Canadians of Ukrainian descent.

 

[octagonation]

Nope I'm Canadian but both of my grandparents fought in World Wars, and I feel strongly that we in the west should be fighting to protect freedom and democracy. If I didn't have children, I would have already volunteered to fight for Ukraine.

Without saying more, I am definitely one of the Canadians that [would have], during the world wars, surprised people by heavily contributing to the Geneva Checklist during wartime. I'm proud of that legacy, Canadians fighting like absolute savages to fight against fascists.

You're right that Khamzat could wash his hands of the Russian connection -- IF he stopped associating with Kadyrov -- but immediately going and giving his UFC champ belt to Kadyrov after winning it doesn't help his image, or deny those connections.

This is the UFC aka sport for entertainment it is not that deep

 

[Alpha_T83]

This is the UFC aka sport for entertainment it is not that deep

Except Khamzat is already facing backlash not being able to fight in February in Australia... forcing him to fight after Ramadan in May/June/July.

And if the EU get around to sanctioning ALL Russian athletes and Russian associated athletes, the UFC will have no choice but to remove Russian fighters from their roster.

This is because the EU bans televising/advertising/promoting Russian athletes in the EU. The UFC instantly loses access to the European market if they continue to run Russian fighters. CBS won't have it, and will force the UFC to get rid of the Russian fighters, including Khamzat (associated with Kadyrov).

If Putin keeps this war up, this is coming. American MMA can't hide from this. You can stick your head in the sand but it's coming.

 

[octagonation]

Except Khamzat is already facing backlash not being able to fight in February in Australia... forcing him to fight after Ramadan in May/June/July.

And if the EU get around to sanctioning ALL Russian athletes and Russian associated athletes, the UFC will have no choice but to remove Russian fighters from their roster.

This is because the EU bans televising/advertising/promoting Russian athletes in the EU. The UFC instantly loses access to the European market if they continue to run Russian fighters. CBS won't have it, and will force the UFC to get rid of the Russian fighters, including Khamzat (associated with Kadyrov).

If Putin keeps this war up, this is coming. American MMA can't hide from this. You can stick your head in the sand but it's coming.

you belong to the war room not here

 

[Alpha_T83]

you belong to the war room not here

Cool story bro. Except what I said has relevance, because Khamzat can't fight in February due to the exact problems I outlined. And if said problems get worse, this could start happening to every Russian (linked) fighter in the UFC.

But yea, you're right, every Russian linked fighter potentially being removed from the UFC in the future is totally not a UFC related discussion. You're right.

 

[octagonation]

Cool story bro. Except what I said has relevance, because Khamzat can't fight in February due to the exact problems I outlined. And if said problems get worse, this could start happening to every Russian (linked) fighter in the UFC.

But yea, you're right, every Russian linked fighter potentially being removed from the UFC in the future is totally not a UFC related discussion. You're right.

Hahaha. You keep cracking me up

 

[Alpha_T83]

Hahaha. You keep cracking me up

People said the same thing about South Africa and Yugoslavia (apartheid, 1990s Yugoslavia) — until they were completely banned from global sports and broadcasters dropped their games overnight. When governments escalate sanctions, sports and media get swept up fast, whether fans like it or not. If the EU ever bans Russian athletes from being shown in Europe, CBS and ESPN would have no choice but to make the UFC comply or lose the entire European market. That’s not politics — that’s just how international broadcast law and business work.

I'm not saying it's going to happen. The EU haven't done it yet, and they would prefer not to. But if Putin gives them no choice and this war goes on long enough, yes it will happen. And yes the UFC will be forced to remove all Russian athletes, or else CBS/Paramount will be blacked out from broadcasting to the EU market.

Again, this very thread is about Khamzat potentially not fighting until May 2026. Why isn't he fighting on February 1st, 2026 @ UFC 325? Because he's banned from Australia. Can Dana White pull off a miracle and get Khamzat a visa? I doubt it. He needed his personal friend President Trump to pull strings, just to get Khamzat allowed back into the US.

 

[octagonation]

People said the same thing about South Africa and Yugoslavia (apartheid, 1990s Yugoslavia) — until they were completely banned from global sports and broadcasters dropped their games overnight. When governments escalate sanctions, sports and media get swept up fast, whether fans like it or not. If the EU ever bans Russian athletes from being shown in Europe, CBS and ESPN would have no choice but to make the UFC comply or lose the entire European market. That’s not politics — that’s just how international broadcast law and business work.

I'm not saying it's going to happen. The EU haven't done it yet, and they would prefer not to. But if Putin gives them no choice and this war goes on long enough, yes it will happen. And yes the UFC will be forced to remove all Russian athletes, or else CBS/Paramount will be blacked out from broadcasting to the EU market.

Again, this very thread is about Khamzat potentially not fighting until May 2026. Why isn't he fighting on February 1st, 2026? Because he's banned from Australia.

You remind me about this Estonian friend of mine we watch soccer together from time to time. That dude hates Russia with everything and all his veins lmao when he goes on an epic anti-russian rant is the funniest thing to hear. He is not banned from Australia by the way do your research properly

 

[Alpha_T83]

You remind me about this Estonian friend of mine we watch soccer together from time to time. That dude hates Russia with everything and all his veins lmao when he goes on an epic anti-russian rant is the funniest thing to hear

There's nothing funny about a literal terrorist nation trying to commit genocide in Ukraine. The only thing stopping them is Putin's incompetence.

I for one will welcome Khamzat and all other Russian-linked athletes being forcibly removed from the UFC due to EU sanctions (if it happens). That's what you get for supporting a terrorist state.

And again -- to stay on topic -- the middleweight division is now being held up for god knows how long, all because we have a middleweight champion that 1) won't fight or even train during Ramadan and 2) has visa issues that prevent him from fighting on an otherwise available PPV on February 1st, 2026. IMO that's a middleweight champ that should be stripped of his belt.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Well, we lost about 13,000 in Afghanistan so it's clear that the current toll would be dozens times higher. The number I was talking about, 140,000, was verified using obituaries and memorials. Many are still missing, yes. The recruitment is not forcible right now, people are incentivized to join meatwaves by huge payouts. In Moscow they are the highest. That's why the society at large remains mostly indifferent towards casualties.

As much as I like the idea of secondary sanctions for Chimaev, they couldn't even sanction Emelianenko who openly endorsed war and that didn't prevent him from fighting in the US even before Trump's return.

The guy you are talking to is obsessed with Russia and Kadyrov and is obviously not really 100% well up there.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

There's nothing funny about a literal terrorist nation trying to commit genocide in Ukraine. The only thing stopping them is Putin's incompetence.

I for one will welcome Khamzat and all other Russian-linked athletes being forcibly removed from the UFC due to EU sanctions (if it happens). That's what you get for supporting a terrorist state.

And again -- to stay on topic -- the middleweight division is now being held up for god knows how long, all because we have a middleweight champion that 1) won't fight or even train during Ramadan and 2) has visa issues that prevent him from fighting on an otherwise available PPV on February 1st, 2026. IMO that's a middleweight champ that should be stripped of his belt.

LMFAO you are batshit.

 

[Unheralded Truth]

UPDATE:

Chimaev just confirmed on X now that this was the case



Probably why they never booked him for Jan/Feb like Khamzat had asked for. Turns out for the best now anyway, with time to fix the foot.

 

[fizzlehiss]

ufc needs to force the cheev to take more fights. 1 fight per year sucks so much