UFC champ Fabricio Werdum signs on as ambassador for Chechnya's Akhmat Fight Club

Fabricio Werdum

Fabricio Werdum (20-5-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC) will be spending at least part of his next training camp in Chechnya, as the UFC heavyweight champion has signed on to serve as an ambassador for the Russian republic’s Akhmat Fight Club.

MMAjunkie today confirmed the new deal with Werdum’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz.

“Fabricio was happy to accept what ultimately was a very lucrative offer, but this deal is not just a financial arrangement,” Abdelaziz said. “He was in Chechnya earlier this year, and he was treated like a king. It was an amazing experience for Fabricio, and the opportunity to partner with Akhmat Fight Club was something he didn’t want to pass up.

“Honestly, I think opportunities like this are something all managers should be looking for in the sport. With the changing landscape of sponsorship opportunities, you have to think outside of the box.”

According to Abdelaziz, the Akhmat Fight Club is a government-owned team focused on helping to build MMA in Chechnya. The club also has branches focused on other sports such as soccer and wrestling.

Fabricio Werdum and Ramzanv Kadyrov

As part of the arrangement, Werdum will spend some time training in Chechnya, while some of Akhmat Fight Club’s Chechnya-based fighters – such as recent UFC signee Abdul-Kerim Edilov (16-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) – will also come to California’s Kings MMA to train alongside Werdum under the tutelage of Rafael Cordeiro.

Werdum, as well as UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman and former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir, in March attended World Fighting Championship Akhmat’s debut professional MMA event as the official guests of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, the controversial head of Chechnya who has overseen the republic since 2007. Kadyrov, an enthusiastic MMA fan started Akhmat Fight Club and named it in honor of his father, a former Chechnyan President who was assassinated in 2004.

“Chechnya was a great experience,” Werdum stated. “The people there were very generous, and I was treated like a real champion. I’m looking forward to going back there and help develop Chechnyan MMA.”

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez said he’s anticipating a rematch with Werdum will take place in March in Brazil

In August, Bahrainian Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa announced the addition of UFC contenders Khabib Nurmagomedov and Frankie Edgar, as well as esteemed coaches Renzo Gracie, John Kavanaugh and Bob Schirmer to the island nation’s KHK MMA Team.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.